Just A Family Get Together
by Fae 206
Summary: 1st person pov. Six years ago, Aurora Hizuri was murdered and Kuon Hizuri was convicted for his daughter's murder despite his family and friends knowing his innocence. However, when Aurora shows up as alive and this leads to Kuon's release, Kyoko is thrilled to have her family back but kept locked up in isolation both Kuon and Aurora have shifted greatly, will the family survive?
1. Chapter 1 - Separation and Isolation

**AN:** I am working on my other fics but I want to do a huge update so thank you for your patience. After watching 'Orange is the New Black' and 'The Lovely Bones' and 'Room' I kind of got those movies stuck in my head and so wanted to write something like that. I'm aiming for 3000 words per chapter (with flashbacks) after this compared to my 2k for my other fics. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this. Please review if you'd like to see more.

Also, this is kind of inaccurate on how things are like in prison but I've only done a little research so thank you for your understanding. I've never been to prison and don't intend to either.

I might change this to M, debating on that

 **Just A Family Get Together**

 **Chapter One – Separation and Isolation**

Six years ago my daughter never returned from elementary school. She had always loved going to school and had been excited to read and to play and to learn things that she could tell my wife and I. Six years ago she had vanished and a murder investigation had begun. They never found a body but they found blood and a lot of hair. They said it was too much blood for them to come to another conclusion.

Five years ago, I, Hizuri Kuon, was convicted of the murder of my daughter.

The truth? I never did it but this is karma. I was never convicted for the murder of Rick and so my precious Aurora was stolen from me and the police came to the conclusion that I was the murderer, citing my violent past. I'm innocent in this. No one holds any suspicions against me, well none of my family and friends, but five years ago I was put behind these metal bars and became a disappointment to my father, my mother, and my wife.

"Hizuri," I hear a guard call to me as they step to the side of my cell. I look up with tired eyes, ones that used to hold such promise. "Visitation."

"Heh," I smile before shrugging my shoulders and the guard holds up his baton. Guess I shouldn't piss them off. "Okay, I'm coming," I whisper as I run a hand over my longer hair. Maybe I should just shave it all off, it's becoming a distraction again. "Do I get a name this time?"

"Same as last time," he says and I smile. I can't believe that it's been five years and still she comes to see me every weekend. I left her with our son, Rikuu Milo Hizuri, who should be about seventeen in a few months. I only get to see him two or three times a year. I'm glad that he doesn't come more though I want to see him, I don't want my family burdened by this.

"What's the problem, pretty boy. Most people would…you know, kill, for your opportunity to see such a gorgeous woman," I look up at him with a glare before shaking my head.

"You're not worth it," I whisper under my breath as I try my best to push away the old impulses of Kuon Hizuri. I don't know who I am but I do not want to go into solitary again. I don't want to lose my visitation rights. I don't want to let her down.

"What's that, Hizuri?" the guard asks me and I bow my head.

Come on, Kuon, you've already been put in SHU for disrespecting the guards. You're in Japan. You know you could get sent to death row for not playing along with their stupid plans.

"Nothing," I tell him as I stand up and close my eyes with a deep exhale. I stand up ready to obey him and to follow him.

…..

…..

Kuon never hurt anybody like they said he did. He didn't even kill Rick. He was stupid and if he hadn't done the things that he had done as a teenager then maybe Rick would still be alive but we all make mistakes like that. Kuon took ownership of that but this…this wasn't him. I don't even understand how this happened. Our daughter was murdered but it wasn't by Kuon.

I hate this visitation area, I hate these telephones that I have to hold so I can even hear his voice, the way that I lift my hand up and can only imagine how it would feel to be able to touch his skin. They might call me hopeless or that I'm gullible but I want him to come home safe. I know that he didn't kill our daughter.

"Hey," I smile as the guards put him into the seat. He looks so drained and exhausted. It looks as if he's being pushed to his limits. "How are you sweetheart?" I ask and he looks at me with those broken emerald eyes. No, this man didn't kill our daughter. This man couldn't hurt anyone that badly.

"I'm okay. I've been okay. How are you?"

I can see in his eyes that he's lying but then I also know why he is doing so. He wants me to be happy and I've just overcome all the grief and mourning and found acceptance but there can't be that much acceptance. I don't know who killed our daughter and the country says it was the former Ren Tsuruga, the Japanese idol.

I don't see Ren right in front of me. I can't see that strong and confident actor who was filled with so much charisma. They've broken him. They've broken me too. I didn't want to fight against the backlash any longer of protecting my husband who was found guilty by the legal system and so I wanted to do something to give a better chance for my family and I went to law school. I'm not an actress anymore, I'm a lawyer and I'm hunting for a way to prove his innocence.

"I took on a new case," I tell him and he nods with sad eyes. "I think I'm doing well. I got in contact with some of the team from my mother's office to go through a few new case files. Maybe only a few more years until I can do the ones for murder."

"Yeah, I'll….have to see if I can see any murderers," he tries to joke and it pains me to see him so broken.

He wasn't given the luxury of being able to find an outlet for his grief like I was. Instead, he was convicted for the murder of his little princess. Aurora meant the world to both of us and when I think of her, I can see how much she loved Kuon. The ways in which they spoke, interacted, the way she shared what she had learned at school and he had tried to nurture that knowledge and they had both been so happy. He's such a good father, the type of father who would protect their child, and now he's caged up like an animal.

I want him out. I don't want to see him suffering any longer. I never asked for this. I never wanted to press charges on him but I did say I wanted to see justice done to my daughter's murderer. There is zero chance that I'm currently looking at him.

"Sweethea—art" I sob as I try not to break down. He doesn't need me to break down now. I look around and see the other people who he is sharing a jail with, these people could be Yakuza members or other people close to gangs. Kuon isn't like that.

I can see that the shower pressure is bad and that the temperature probably is as well because of the way that his hair is always a mess. When I used to make the Ren Tsuruga dolls, I would take pride in the fact that he was so clean shaven and presentable, I wanted to make my dolls just like that. The Kuon in front of me now looks as if he was left homeless on the street and he isn't taking care of himself.

"Have you been working on appeals?" I ask and he shakes his head before sighing. "You've been getting my letters, right?" I ask desperately and he nods but soon avoids eye contact with me. I just want him to give me _something_.

"Yeah, I've been reading them," he says before looking at me and shivers, "Why do you come here? The way the media reported it? The way that it's repeated? Maybe I did kill her, I don't know. All of those theories that were wrapped up in each other."

"Kuon, you didn't kill our daughter," I tell him firmly but he looks lost. I hear the guard call that there's only a few more minutes. I hate this. I want so much longer with him. "I've been getting your letters, I read them over and over every day. I love you, sweetheart," I tell him but he just stares vacantly at the glass.

I want to get him out of here, get him home. That won't be achieved today.

"How's your job?" I ask him and he looks down. His job…well, he first started out in cleaning, then it was in making something for a car company, now he's got a nice job in the library because of how smart he is. I wish we were in America, that I hadn't asked him to give up his US citizenship for Japanese citizenship. I wish that he was happy. Maybe things would have been better there.

"End of visiting hours," a guard calls out and Kuon looks at me.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes and it breaks my heart. There's nothing for him to apologize for. He didn't do anything wrong and yet he's put up all of his walls. I love you, Kuon. No matter what they say you did, I love you.

…

…

I look up at where there is a man standing there with a grin over his face. I prefer eating alone and I've made that clear to everyone. That was what I was first taken to get punished for. Those were the early days when people were more interested in my celebrity status. What Kyoko doesn't know is I lost it. I lashed out and if I didn't have life imprisonment already then they might have considered sticking on some more years.

I don't like to be bothered, I don't even like the guards bothering me and fortunately I don't get that usually, only when there is someone new and they want to see the former Ren Tsuruga. The forty-two-year-old mess of a man and failure of a father. Has it been that long? Am I seriously forty-two? I guess so, I mean I was thirty-seven when I was put in here. Height of the acting career. I'm now old and I guess you age more rapidly when sitting behind bars.

Still, there is a man standing opposite me and I have to deal with him.

"You know that she only comes to see you because she wants to do you, she don't even love you no more," he says and I look down at the slop they claim is rice.

"Perfect," I nod, "Now screw off," I glare at him, my eyes narrowing.

I had always imagined that I'd be like my father at this age. I thought I'd be an international actor and model. I thought that I would have people still calling me a star, an idol, a hero, gorgeous, glamorous, and admirable. Admirability is hard to achieve behind the iron bars of a cell.

"It'll be more than that to get me in the mood," the guy says and I stand, using my height to my advantage as I give the guy the death look and see him back away a little bit. I guess they really don't understand my anger until they see it. I hate to use it and I see a guard marching towards me. What is it now? Scalding hot shower? Being kicked around until it's hard to stand?

"Hizuri, you're coming with us," the guard tells me and I direct my glare at him. "That's an order."

"You're so masterfully trained," I sneer as I crack my neck. I look at him again and he rolls his eyes. The man from earlier comes towards me and puts his hand on my wrist. Screw him! I turn around and punch him in the jaw, bringing his body down to the ground. They don't have the right to touch me. They don't have the right to bring out the true me, the me that I will never let Kyoko see.

"You're going down for that, Hizuri," the man yells after me and I shrug.

"Damn you," I bite back and the guard looks at me disapprovingly, "What is it now? Complete isolation?"

"Not today, Hizuri. The warden wants to see you," the guard says and I pause. Please not another transfer. Please. I can't have Kyoko move again. I can't mess up her life any more than I already have.

…..

…

I stare at the fourteen-year-old girl who is sitting on the hospital bed. I can recognize her face because she looks so much like her father but I can't believe that Aurora has been found. I don't even know how to react. The doctors want to keep her here for analysis and they don't know how she will take to me so I have to be calm when I enter the room but I thought only an hour ago that my daughter had been dead for six years.

I nervously follow the doctor into the room and Aurora shifts uncomfortably. I stand by the doorway not wanting to hurt her. "Hi," I whisper as she looks at me. Those emerald eyes, those gorgeous emerald eyes…I put a hand to my lips. "Do you…"

"Mom?" she asks as she looks at me with tears in her eyes.

I nod nervously. I can't believe that she's alive. She reaches out her arms and I rush forward, holding her close. It's been so long. So many years and I'm not sure what happened to her during that time. She snuggles in and the world seems to start making sense again.

"Where's Daddy?" she sniffs in a quiet voice and I don't know what to say. How do I even tell her that her father got a life sentence for her murder charge when she's sitting right in front of me. Does that mean that Kuon will join us soon? Will our family be back together again?


	2. Chapter 2 - Coming Home

**AN:** Hope you guys like this fic 😊 It's always exciting for me to work on a new fic but I'm going to be working on other Skip Beat fics as well. Also, no pressure, but I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this fic with a review 😉

 **Chapter Two – Coming Home**

When I was growing up, my dad was my hero. I felt so proud to be the son of Kuon Hizuri who was still known as Ren Tsuruga to some people. It felt amazing that I was connected to a legendary actor and then the fact that my mother was _the_ Kyoko on top of that. Well, who could ask for better parents in terms of how popular and known they were. It felt amazing talking to people about them at career days and stuff.

And then it happened. The murder. The way that my parents were upset for months and I in turn was devastated and then it happened. The police found evidence that was planted against my father. It was total bull sh- well it was a lot of idiocy. On one hand, you have the police with their evidence of blood and hair and a bag that my dad had reported stolen before the accident even happened which was left at the scene, then you had the police who were working with reason to suspect my father's past in America and his violent side as Cain Heel. On the other hand you have my dad, a person struggling with the loss of his daughter – with the murder of his daughter, my treasured sister – who is being accused of a murder he didn't commit.

It's damn ignorant that the police are always right, that justice never speaks for the innocent.

It was even more crappy how the jury decided that the officers were right. They sentenced my father to life imprisonment and he didn't even do anything.

I was eleven when my sister was murdered and I was twelve when my father got convicted.

I felt so damn useless during all of it. Dad wasn't the type of person who would hurt anybody. Dad was…well he was kind and affectionate and even if he was sad about something, he would move that to the back of his mind and focus on having fun, focus on the enjoyment of life. He was my father, my hero. No, he still is my father and he still is my hero although I don't tell people in the way I did when I was a kid.

I've felt so ashamed of the fact that I struggle to see him. I feel that if I can't keep up my grades, my team sports, I'll have let him down. I'm also not confident enough to go into the prison where they have him. I don't want him to lose hope and I'm not strong enough. I hope one day that I can see him more and he'll forgive me for my absence.

I love my dad. I hope he knows that I still love him.

It's become part of Mom's weekly routine to go and visit him and so she leaves to see him and sometimes can be gone for two or three hours, with the way that visitation works there, I doubt all that time is spent with him. I stay behind, trying to block my mind out with video games and homework. I still watch that clock and think of him though.

Dad always encouraged my dreams when he wasn't behind bars. He would answer any stupid question I would have. He made time for me even though he was a famous and beloved actor and his schedule was hectic. He would always prioritize us first. That type of father isn't one to go on a killing spree.

I hear Mom come back and I stand, she's been gone for a bit longer than usual. I take a nervous breath as I exit my room and approach the stairs. I don't know whether to ask Dad or not.

"This isn't the house," I hear a voice say and I freeze. It couldn't be.

"Yes, I know. We moved houses about four years ago," Mom says. I rush to see them and I pause. There's a fourteen year old who looks so much like her, so much like Aurora. Is it? Have I gone crazy. "Rikuu," Mom says as she turns her attention to me. "Come, sit, we have to have a talk."

"But is it?" I ask and see the girl turn to me, she's wearing sunglasses and moving so slowly.

As she sees me, she starts to sob painfully and I rush down to put my arms around her. How is this happening? How is she alive? "Big brother," she whispers and I hold her, "You're so big."

"You've grown up too," I whisper as I pull her closer to me but am conscious of her smaller frame. She's malnourished and I don't know what's happening but my sibling instincts are coming out and I want her safe. I turn to Mom and she smiles happily but I have to mouth to her, 'Dad?'

"I'm sure that your father will be back home soon," Mom says as she puts a hand to her chest. Can this be real? My younger sister back from the dead and my father cleared of his murder charge on the same day? This feels way too good to be true.

…

…

My daughter is alive. My daughter is alive. I can't believe it, this is the type of thing that someone dreams about. It's not really the type of thing that actually happens and I have to say it again, my daughter is alive.

The doctors and police officers told me what they had found out and with a lot of begging from me had agreed on an outpatient program. My daughter was seen for her beauty and her family connections when she was eight-years-old but instead of them blackmailing us – to which I know Kuon would have given anything for her safety – they had used those facts for pedophiles.

My daughter was used in a child sex-trafficking scheme by people who I really want to rip their guts out and stuff them back down their throat. Along with four other girls, she was kept in cramped areas and sold out to men in small rooms where she had to be obedient to them.

My daughter was eight when this happened.

Even more surprising was that I had known the person who had taken her, the person who wanted to use her and whose partner in crime wanted nothing less than to see Kuon convicted and behind bars. I always knew that the beagles were strange. They had a creepy aura and the fact that…Reino had captured one of those little demon other worldly things from around me was definitely strange but I had given them the benefit of the doubt. That won't happen anymore.

Apparently Reino didn't know what was happening with Aurora and he didn't care. It wasn't him who was keeping her captive, he was just someone who didn't want her released. He wanted to keep Kuon in prison for as long as possible and had blackmailed the police officers as well as planted evidence on the scene. I'm sure he also used some kind of psychic technique to convince people of Kuon's guilt.

That is something that I cannot forgive.

A grieving father who loved his kids more than anything but now accused of his daughter's murder being put behind bars and wrongfully convicted. That is…I am proud of Kuon that he didn't kill himself, he would have been able to do so knowing him. I don't even know what has kept him going. I go to see him every week because I knew he was innocent but is that enough? Do I bring him enough hope when everything he has worked for has crumbled?

I'm allowed to go back into the hospital room to bring my daughter back to our new home. I hope it's not too overwhelming for her. It would be too much to hear her be fearful or unsure. I just want her home where I can make sure she's safe.

"Before I go in," I ask the doctor, my eyes sad as I try to blink away my tears, "Do you know anything about my husband? Do you know anything that is happening?"

"We haven't had direct confirmation or at least I haven't but news reports are saying that Hizuri Kuu has arrived at the prison," the doctor said and Kyoko smiled in relief. So, Kuon was getting released. Well they had no reason to keep him there. She would sue them for what they did to him. Wasn't there a loss of profitable gain or some law that meant there should be reparations for the work that he wasn't able to do. Then there's the fact that they lied and convinced the public to distrust and even dislike him. Oh, I am so getting my revenge for this.

The doctor opens the door and I see Aurora sitting in a chair and staring out the window. She looks so different but I know that it's her, a mother knows these things.

"I've missed you so much," I tell her and she looks at me, her eyes are so tired and I hand her the sunglasses that the hospital provided. "Oh, my god, sweetie," I start to cry again. "Both your father and I…we've missed you so much. I am so happy that you're here, beyond happy that you're alive. Your dad will be so thrilled."

"Where is Dad? He didn't come with you? Is he working?" Aurora whispers and her voice is so tiny but I know that she's as much of a fighter as me and Kuon and even Rikuu. We learned to battle through tough times to stay alive.

"Well, he's not working. Your father would drop any work that he was doing to come see you," I try to tell her but she stares at me.

"Where is he?" she asks and I hesitate. I don't know what to tell her. How can I even explain to her that her disappearance led to Kuon's imprisonment. Well, he'll be home soon and it will all be fine. Everything will be able to go back to normal.

…

…

This doesn't seem real. I was told that my daughter was found to be alive but part of some messed up scheme from this ex-singer and I was told that she was in the hospital and I was being released. They offered me quarter of a million for an apology and I told them to shove it up their ass and I wasn't going to be insulted by such a small offer. I've been in prison for five years on a wrongful conviction.

I could have been acting, getting that much for smaller projects. I could have been providing and supporting my family. They stole all of that from me. Of course I'm going to sue them, why the hell shouldn't I?

The world looks so much different as I sit in the car with my dad driving. It feels so freaking cheery and messed up as if everything was fine whilst I was barely allowed sunlight. Damn it. It isn't fair. I could have been out here in the world. I could have eaten proper food – do you know how rare a want is for me - . I could have enjoyed my late thirties even with the loss of my daughter. No, they didn't even let me have that.

I'm an older man now, in my freaking forties. I just spent eight months going through a trial for the death of my daughter plus five years in a cell where I felt like I couldn't breathe and knew people thought of me as a monster.

"Did you want to get anything to ea-" Dad says as we reach a stoplight, he puts a hand on my shoulder which makes me feel like he's pushing me down. He doesn't mean any of this. He's in his late sixties, he's an older man as well but I can't help but to hate the way he's holding me.

"Get your hand off of me," I growl out and Dad does so immediately. "Don't you freaking touch me!" I yell and see Dad's concern. I know what he's thinking because I've been thinking it myself. I shouldn't be around my daughter. My trigger reactions are heightened and I've gone through so much during my incarceration. I shouldn't be around my family.

"I'm sorry, I didn't -"

"No, it's fine," I say as Dad nods and focuses his attention back on the road. I can see the pain in his face but I don't want to be touched. I've gone through years without it, I don't need it anymore. Still, I hate to see the painful reaction. We pull up to a house that I don't recognize and Dad stops. Is this it? Is this the house that Kyoko moved to to be closer to me? Damn it.

"So, we're home, well your home," Dad smiles and I look out the window. "Do you feel like getting out? The police informed me that this is going to be taken off your record and Boss said that he'll try to find a way for you to go back into acti-"

"Just leave me alone!" I snap at him again and I see the weak smile change into a more solemn look.

"Okay. Well, you don't have to think about that now. Are you okay being here?" Dad asks and honestly, no, no I'm not. My family didn't abandon me but I'm scared of messing it all up again. I shrug before getting out of the car and Dad follows me.

"You got a key?" I ask him as I try to avoid eye contact.

"Yes, yes I have a key right here," Dad says quickly and I lag behind him. I know that he's concerned about me but I just spent half a decade without my freedom. As the door opens, I see Kyoko run towards me and she throws her arms around me before crying into my chest. I hesitantly pull her to my chest.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," she sobs and I nod. "I'm so happy," she says and I look around, "Everyone's in the living room. Come sit with us."

I pause. Part of me wants to run far away from all of this but there's another part which wants to see my daughter so badly. To see her and to know that she really is alive. I enter the room and my eyes catch onto my children. I don't know if I have the right to call them my children anymore because of how I abandoned them.

"Hey, dad" Rikuu says as he stands up and gestures to an empty chair, "Have a seat or you can have my seat or…"

I shake my head and look at Aurora. She has tears in her eyes and runs towards me.

"Daddy!" she yells and I don't know how to hold her anymore so I let her hug me. I stare at her. She's fourteen, she's a teenager now. I kiss the top of her head but I don't feel as if I belong here any longer.

"I'm sorry," I tell them, "I need to leave but you have no idea how relieved I am to see you again," I tell Aurora and take a step out of the room. Rikuu and Kyoko have compassion in their eyes for me but Aurora looks confused. I'm sorry for confusing you, princess.

…

…

It's different here. The sights, the sounds, it's all different. Even my family is different. I don't want to talk about my experiences or how I was forced to grow up too quickly. I owe my second family, the girls I was kept hostage with, so much. However, this is my real family.

Mom looks so professional. I remember that she tried to look cute and beautiful when she was working as an actress but apparently now she's a lawyer. I don't know what motivated her to switch her career but then I don't understand a lot of what people do after these years I've felt a slave to certain men.

Rikuu is taller than he was before, he's not an eleven-year-old anymore. He's going to go to university soon, I think. I'm not sure. I didn't even know that it had been six years since that day. I thought that I was twelve but I guess I'm a bit older than that.

The one person I really want to see isn't here though. My father. Daddy always used to encourage me in what I wanted to do, he would act silly with me and he would also take time to listen to me. When I talked about him, I knew that everyone understood what an amazing Daddy I had.

He's not here and I want him to be here. I want my family back. I spent so much time longing for it.

I feel my stomach tighten as I hear a car pull up in the driveway. It's him. It's my daddy coming home. I want him to hold me and call me his princess. I've been waiting six years for that.

When he enters the house though, he has the same aura as some of the men who treated me cruelly. It's as if there's a dark cloud around him. His hair is a mess and he looks as skinny as I might be. I don't know what happened to him but his face is hard, his eyes are hard as well as if he's been hurt by somebody. Maybe he blames himself for my mistaken death.

Rikuu offers him a seat but he looks at it as if it's some foreign object.

I can't hold it in any longer and I cry out for him, rushing to hug him. He's always been my hero and I'm sorry Mom, I love you, but Daddy became my motivation for hanging on. I wanted to see him again. I wanted him to hold me again.

As I wrap my arms around him, Dad seems uncomfortable with this kind of human contact and I don't know why, he was always so affectionate with Mom. He was the kind of dad who would embarrass me and my brother with his constant public displays of affection but he's stiff and it's as if he's wrapped up like a mummy under all those bandages.

I don't know what's wrong.

Before he has a time to react, he's stepping back and looks as if he's about to leave. I don't want him to go. Did I do something? What did I do wrong already that makes him uncomfortable? I'm sorry, Daddy, I tried my best to escape and be your little princess.

 **End of Chapter Two**

 **Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter One**

Ashenvale, JeremyVD, Kris XD

 **Response to reviews**

Hope this chapter was able to clear up some of your confusion. I really enjoyed doing all four family members pov and hope you guys found it easy to follow along. Hope this chapter didn't let you down and there will be a lot to sort out for both Aurora and Kuon who were kept in captivity in two different ways.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Consequences of Freedom

**Chapter Three – The Consequences of Freedom**

 _I don't really understand what's going on but Mom says she hopes that Dad can come home tonight. He was kept with this non-bail or something for a while but then he got to come home but Mom said they had to pay a lot and we weren't going to take a vacation because it was so big but at least Daddy came home. So, it's kind of strange that we're here. Mom really wants for Dad to be found innocent and he should._

 _I still feel so sad about my little sister. She was always really happy and Dad would always do his best to make us happy but both Mom and Dad have been buried in paperwork with a bunch of these top lawyers. Mom says that the lawyers are going to help Dad. I want them too as well because Dad couldn't have hurt Aurora. He just couldn't. He was always really gentle with us._

" _Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge says and I hold my breath._

 _Both Mom and Dad didn't want me to come today but I said that I wanted to. I want to see my dad be cleared of the charge but last night Dad told me he loved me and he didn't look so hopeful. He was really emotional and kept repeating how much he loves me and how proud of me he is. Mom reaches for my hand and Grandma puts a hand on my back. We've all been hurt._

" _Yes, we have Your Honor," the jury says and I see Dad. He's really pale and shaking though he's trying to stay still. He looks so frightened about all of this._

" _We the jury find the defendant Hizuri Kuon guilty of first degree murder of Hizuri Aurora," the chairperson says and I blink in confusion. Dad didn't do it._

 _I see Dad shaking, his fist is clenching and unclenching. Mom crashes down in tears and Grandpa is shaking himself but he's holding her as she screams into his chest._

 _The judge starts speaking again and I hear Grandma try to sob quietly but tears are streaming down her cheeks. She wraps her arms around me. "Following the law, the defendant, Hizuri Kuon, is sentenced to life imprisonment without chance of parole. This time is to spent in Fuchu Prison. Please take the defendant into custody. The jury is dismissed."_

 _I don't know what that means but I see Dad being handcuffed and pulled out the room. He gives one last look at Mom and mouths to her that he loves her whilst Grandpa attempts to hold her back. Then he's out of our sight and Mom is screaming again. I don't know why Dad's gone. He didn't do anything. Why are they taking him away when he didn't do anything wrong._

" _Kyoko," Grandpa says as he continues to hold Mom in his arms, "It's okay. It'll be okay."_

" _How on earth will it be okay?" Mom sobs and Grandpa pauses before dropping his head. He can't even argue with her because it's not okay._

…..

…

Aurora is looking at the doorway in confusion and I know that neither Mom or I feel any right to explain to her what's going on. Dad has changed but I bet underneath it all, he's still Dad. I've heard that prison changes a person but I never really witnessed it until the first time I had visited him and seen how hopeless he had felt. That's why Mom worked so hard to become a lawyer and gave up her acting. She didn't want to see him lose hope in the world.

Still, Dad should be here with us. No one blames him for what happened but he's not comfortable. He got blamed for a crime that he didn't commit and not just any crime but the death of his daughter, of my sister.

"Can I go and speak with him?" I ask Mom and she nods slowly, she's worried about him as well but we want to celebrate the fact that both he and Aurora are home, not the fact that they were kept captive for so long. I leave the room and walk to the hallway where Dad is standing. Grandpa is facing him.

"Are you sure you don't want to be with your family?" he asks and Dad looks aside. His hair is pretty long and his posture is slumped and broken. He's not the proud and celebrated actor that I knew as my father, that I've seen in interviews with him.

"I don't feel comfortable," Dad says and I hear how he is so unsure about this. I wish I had visited him more often but I was scared of it. I was scared to see him behind bars.

Grandpa looks at me and I take a step back as Dad turns to face me. He bows his head and backs up against the wall. He wraps an arm around his chest. What did they do to him in prison?

"Is it okay if we talk?" I ask Dad and he looks at me as if I'm an alien. He shakes his head and I bow my head. "I never blamed you, I was just scared of disappointing you."

"You never disappointed me at all," Dad says but he doesn't make eye contact with me. I sigh and sit down on the stairs as Grandpa puts a hand on Dad's shoulder.

"It'll be oka-" he starts but Dad pushes his hand away and looks at him angrily.

"Don't touch me!" he snaps at Grandpa, "I don't want anyone to touch me. Just leave me alone, go, I don't want you here," he says and Grandpa knows how much he is hurting but he nods silently. Dad closes his eyes and drops his head. I know that he doesn't feel safe here.

"Dad, you want me to show you around the house?" I ask and he avoids looking at me. I just want to get his attention. Maybe he just needs to eat or have a rest or something. "Mom kept your bed," I tell him and Dad's eyes open, he stares at me and I realize how I've never really seen a man this broken.

"Okay," he nods and I stand.

"Okay, let's go," I grin to him and he follows me nervously. I can't believe that this is the same strong man that raised me and my sister.

…..

…..

I don't want this. I don't feel safe and I don't know what to do. What do I even do? Just someone touching me is making me uneasy. This world is too bright, too open and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic. No, wouldn't it be the opposite if I'm scared of such a large space but the walls are closing in on me. I just want this madness to stop.

As glad as I am to see my daughter alive, it hurts. It all is way too painful to cope with. I forgot how good and yet so nerve-wracking freedom could feel like. They wanted to pay me off for the loss of this. Five years is a really long time to sit within a jail cell.

Rikuu is there behind me. Just a few more years and he won't be a teenager anymore. I missed his life. I missed his growth as a preteen into the young man who I can see myself in. He really does have a lot of my same features. I shouldn't have been allowed to have children. He starts talking to me about seeming like a disappointment and I stare at him.

What is he even talking about? A disappointment? He was never a disappointment to me.

I'm the one who left.

Dad touches my shoulder again and I just feel a cold chill brush over my body. I don't want him to touch me. It's not good, it's not safe if he touches me. I just want to be left alone. I was left alone for five years, I don't want to be around anybody right now. I just want my family happy.

"Dad," Rikuu begins and I don't feel worthy of calling myself his father. I don't feel confident enough to even look at him anymore. I missed so much of his life and although I can see myself in him, I don't _know_ him anymore. I only know a little information and what Kyoko has told me but he's different than the son I left. I don't know who he is or what he likes or if he even has a girlfriend. "You want me to show you around the house?"

Is this place my new home? I don't recognize it. I know that when I got transferred, Kyoko followed me so that she could still visit me but this is somewhere unfamiliar. I feel like a puzzle piece trying to be placed into a hole but I'm a totally different person from a different set. I don't fit.

"Mom kept your bed," he tells me and I look down. Maybe after some sleep I'll feel better. I nod to him and he seems to get excited to be spending time with me. Why? After all that time I left him without a father, why now? Why does he want to rebuild the bond that we once shared?

"Okay," I agree and he jumps up from the stairs with the same optimism that Kyoko has always had.

"Okay," he says eagerly, "Let's go."

I cautiously follow him as he walks into different rooms but it's too much. I've seen too much and it's terrifying to be out of my cell and in this house that I don't recognize. He shows me the garden outside but I pull away from the window. He looks at me concerned.

"It's too much," I admit and his face changes to one of shock. He slowly nods but then turns his body away.

"Okay, yeah, we don't have to do the whole house right now. Do you want to maybe…get some rest or something?" he asks and I nod. He gestures for me to follow him and I can see that he wants to take care of me but it should be the other way around. He's my son. I should be taking care of him.

He leads me directly to the main bedroom and then goes to the closet. "Mom's been keeping some of your clothes here, just in case," he says and I nervously feel the fabric. I can't believe she kept this after I was sentenced to life imprisonment. You don't usually come back from life imprisonment.

"Are you going to be okay?" Rikuu asks me and I nod, pulling out a t-shirt, boxers, and a pair of pajama pants. Rikuu hesitates. I wonder how loose these will be on me now, I know that I've lost a lot of weight and even more muscle. I know that the stereotype is that you build muscle in prison, but I didn't. I guess I lost hope.

"The adjoining bathroom is here," he says as he walks over to the door and pats it. "Let me or Mom know if you need anything else. It's really good to have you back, Dad," he tells me and I nod again.

"I love you, Rikuu" I whisper quietly and he grins. At least he's smiling.

"Love you too, Dad."

…

…

" _Hizuri, Takenoda, Chiba, you three are going to be on maintenance and cleaning duty. Hizuri grab a mop and some water, Chiba you are seeing to the pipes in this room, Takenoda we need you to sweep. This room needs to be spotless and then you'll move onto your next," the guard orders and the other two men turn to me. I know that they recognize me. Apparently, it's hard not to recognize me._

 _I grab the mop as ordered and dunk it into the bucket. Hopefully cleaning for one-hundred yen an hour will keep my mind off of the fact that I lost my daughter and that is what led me to be incarcerated. Hopefully scrubbing the scum off of the floor tiles will take my mind away from my life sentence. I just have to refocus. You're not an actor anymore Kuon, you're a convicted felon. Embrace this new part of your life as much as you can._

" _You're Tsuruga Ren, aren't you?" Matsuyuki Chiba asks and I try to keep my distance from him. I nod solemnly as I move the mop side to side across the floor trying to get any hidden dirt. I wish that I hadn't been so prolific in the past._

" _Used to be," I reply as I keep my head down and my eyes focused._

" _You get bored one day or something?" Takenoda asks and I look around. The guard has left the room. I wish that he could just stand there and remind us that we shouldn't be talking, it would be a lot easier for me._

" _No," I shake my head and Chiba tilts his head to the side._

" _No?" he asks, "Report says that you went crazy, murdered your kid, hid the body in a ditch somewhere," he says and I keep my head bowed._

" _Reports can be wrong," I tell him as it breaks my heart to hear them say that about me. I would never do that to someone and especially my own children. They think they have found the murderer but they've just convicted an innocent man. Well, it's not time to think about that now. Concentrate on the job that they've given you, Kuon, don't overextend yourself. You're in here for life._

 _Yeah, life. A pretty sad existence but it's all I have so I have to make the most of it, try to improve myself._

" _Yeah, guess you're a pretty good actor," Takenoda says with a chuckle that chills my insides, "You act like a nice guy but you're one pretty messed up son of a bey-atch, aren't you?"_

 _I look at him before smiling coldly, "Heh," I let a laugh out and feel the anger from my teenage years come back. "You have no idea."_

…

…

There's been silence from the bedroom for a while and Rikuu is spending time with Aurora and he's told me that he'll take her out clothes shopping if she wants to spend some time as siblings. I'm worried about her but I'm also concerned for Kuon. As I open the door to our bedroom, I see him fast asleep in the bed.

I walk over, hoping not to wake him up and smile as he seems to be catching up on years of much needed rest. I smile as I sit next to him and very gently let my fingers run through his hair. It's damp. He must have showered before getting into bed. I smile as I see his body rise and fall as he sleeps.

I smile as I'm able to touch those blond strands. He's finally back. The man who motivated me to not give up on my dreams, to love again, to find happiness in a family, all of that was because of this man. As he feels me touching him, he flinches and pulls away from me.

"I'll kill you, you creep," he whispers and I freeze. He's so different, he's so damaged but it doesn't stop me from adoring him. I press a hand on his back before sliding down into the bed.

"I'm right here, my sweet Corn," I promise him as I try to cuddle up closer to him. He pulls away from me and I hesitate. Could it be that I was pushing him too much?

"Get the hell off of me!" he yells and I find him to throw me onto my back, grabbing my wrist so it's painful and throbbing as he turns me on the bed. I wait nervously. My body is in shock with pain coursing through it and I see him starting to wake up. He pauses as he registers me and then stands up quickly. His clothes look so big on him, he's lost so much weight.

"Oh god," he whispers as he looks at me under him, "Kyoko," he drops my wrist. "I'm sorry," he says quickly. "I'm so sorry," he apologizes and I shake my head. I should have known better than to touch him on his first day out of prison. They had told Father to go slow with him because being incarcerated changes somebody.

"It's okay," I tell him gently as I put a hand on his cheek but he flinches and stands up quickly. "Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm sorry that I disturbed you, you just looked so peaceful there," I tell him and he backs against the wall.

"I can't be here," he tells me and I stare at him. What is he talking about?

….

…

 _I can't believe that I'm sitting here with my fiance's head on my lap. Okay, I didn't know that I would have Kuon Hizuri as my fiancé but I'm glad that I do. He is incredible. I fell in love with my mentor who turned out to be my childhood friend and more importantly, he fell in love with somebody like me. He once told me that he couldn't sleep without a pillow and honestly, at that time, I wanted to get closer to him but I didn't know it yet._

 _I can remember the first time I ran my fingers through his hair, that secret delight when I knew him only as Ren Tsuruga. I love him. The age difference doesn't matter. I love him and I want to be the one to take care of him. "You feeling better sweetheart?" I ask him as he hums. He's caught another cold but this time I'm allowed to take care of him and his fever has dropped down._

" _Yeah, a little," he says and I continue to run my fingers through his brown hair._

" _I love you, Reeen, you're my stone," I tease him and he laughs. Hopefully soon the world will know who he is but as for now I'm fine keeping that secret with me._

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are so so sooo appreciated**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Two**

H-Nala, JeremyVD

 **Response to reviews**

Thank you so much for your support. Hope that this chapter cleared up some of the previous chapter. I hope you guys were able to read it fluidly despite the time jumps AND character jumps.


	4. Chapter 4 - Daddy

**AN:** Hope you guys like this chapter. I was suffering from food poisoning today, not fun, but I'm really enjoying writing this. Hopefully I'll be able to update it with some other fics.

 **Chapter Four – Daddy**

" _Do you see that bird, Aurora?" Daddy asks as he puts his arms around my tummy and pulls me in for a cuddle. He picks me up really high and points to a bird in a tree. I love when Daddy holds me like this. It's one of the best things about being a little kid, having Mommy and Daddy love me and take care of me and when Daddy sees a bird he gets excited and asks me the same question._

" _How many times will that bird flap its wings?"_

 _I know that the question can't really be asked because nobody has a big book of birds where the number of wing flaps are. No, those books only have the name of the bird, the color, the home place, and a description. I can't read the big books that Rikuu does but Daddy always gets excited when I practice my reading with him._

" _Come on," Daddy grins to me, "How many times?" he kisses my cheek and I giggle._

" _Umm, six," I guess after thinking about it and he hums, cuddling me close as we watch the bird together._

" _Yeah," I grin before Rikuu comes over to the two of us._

" _Isn't that a wren?" he asks and I grin. That's Mommy's favorite bird. Mommy and Daddy have both told me that years and years ago Daddy used the name Ren when he played pretend and because of that, when Mommy sees a wren she gets excited. I hope one day that I can meet a prince and we can have special secrets like that._

" _Yes, it is," Daddy says and he puts his hand, the one not holding me, on Rikuu's shoulders. Rikuu looks so proud and happy and although he's a big kid now, he comes closer to Daddy and rests his head on Daddy's side._

" _Are you guys coming in for dinner or not?" Mommy asks. Mommy's dinners are always so delicious. She comes out and laughs as she sees the wren. "If I knew that you were such a fan of nature when I met you, I would have taken you places like this on our first dates. Of course, when I knew that you were Corn, how could I not?" she asks and she kisses Daddy's lips._

" _I thought you liked surprises," Daddy answers to Mommy and I see the bird getting ready to leave. Daddy switches to look at it and we count its flaps before we can't see it any longer._

" _Six," I grin excitedly and Daddy rubs his nose against mine whilst we both laugh, "Six, it was six."_

" _See, Aurora, I don't have to worry about you because you're so smart," Daddy grins and I yawn as he carries me back into the house so we can have dinner together._

…..

…

I look around the room.

It's quiet and empty and I feel as if there is a lot missing around me. This isn't the room that I grew up in. This isn't what I learned to call my safe place where my father would read to me and he would laugh and I would giggle about the different books. Dad always made reading so much fun for me and Rikuu. I'm sure that he's missed that. I wanted to learn more from him.

Mom is admittedly better at homework and stuff, well she was when I was a little kid. Both of my parents are intelligent but Mom always had a really good way of talking to me about why I was facing my issues, Dad was a bit more reluctant emotionally, and if there was something that was really scary for me, she would celebrate with ice cream or manicures or letting me buy a kid friendly lip gloss.

Mom became someone who I could turn to for distractions when the really hard parts of my life came, well what I foolishly thought at eight were hard parts of my life. Mom inspired me to have a love of cooking which Dad was always hopeless at. Dad was fun though. Maybe he was a bit too reluctant to tell stories of his own pain but he was able to notice when things weren't right. He was able to see that pain and then try to do whatever he could so I could be happy again.

A few times when Mom was gone on location shoots, I got scared and asked Daddy if I could cuddle in his bed. He let me and was so gentle when comforting me. The number of times when I held to his hand so I could fall asleep and I could look into his gentle and protective emerald eyes.

Although Mom felt like a friend, I've always been a Daddy's girl. I think that Mom is amazing but there's just something about Dad that draws you in. Mom's always called it his fairy magic.

That wasn't the same thing that I saw today.

Dad…something has happened to him and I don't know what. I know that people are sad because they thought I was dead, for many times during the past six years, I thought that I was going to die. If I didn't have those other girls supporting me then…I would have given up but we always thought that somehow someone would come. Did the police run an investigation and then give up because they couldn't find us?

That's what happens right? They try to find the person who kidnapped and murdered or at least kidnapped the young girls and then if they can't find the hard evidence they eventually stop looking. That must be what happened to me. That devastation would crush my parents and as lucky as I feel that they loved me so much, I wish my dad could just get passed his hurt.

I still want to be his princess. I hear the door open and look up to see my older brother entering the room.

…

…

I still can't believe that she's back. Aurora is home with us. It's amazing.

What's even more amazing is the way that she's coping. She's being so brave and strong and I can just imagine that this is the way that she's spent the last six years of her life. I feel like a failure as her older brother, the person that should have been looking out for her and keeping her safe but she's done so well for herself given what she went through.

I'm not sure how to talk to her but I am so relieved to see her. Hopefully throughout the next sixty years of our lives, this six year gap will be just a short part of that. I know that we'll never really move on from that but we'll at least be able to have good times in the future.

"Hey," I smile as I see her and she grins at me.

"Your voice sounds like Grandpa's," she tells me and I laugh. Well, hopefully that means it also sounds like Dad's but Grandpa was born in Japan, the same with me and Aurora and he grew up here. Dad was born in America and then came to Japan when he was a teenager. Yeah, just a year older than Aurora is.

I try to laugh as I think over her words, "Yeah, guess I did go through puberty since you were gone," I wink at her and she looks down. I hope that I'm not scaring her. We used to play all the time as kids and I was so excited to be her big brother when she was born. I hope that I'm not doing anything to hurt her emotionally or psychologically or anything.

"Yeah, Rikuu, can I ask you a question?" she says as she looks at me innocently and I shift nervously. I'm not sure I'm the right person to be asking these questions to. Maybe I know a little more than Dad does but Mom could answer it so much better than me, she's been answering the questions for years.

"Of course, little sis," I say as I approach the bed and sit down. I look at her. She's grown up to be such a beautiful teen and I'm feeling very overprotective here. I don't want her to go through any more pain but I don't want anyone looking at her in that kind of sexual manner ever ever again.

"Why did they stop the investigation?" she asks me and I tense. What does she mean? What investigation? The one to find her?

"Well," I say nervously, "There was a wrongful conviction. They…uh…they sentenced a man to life imprisonment without chance of parole. I guess once they thought that they had a conviction for the crime, it was over, they could move on."

"The man that they imprisoned though, I don't think it was one of them. I kept seeing them until today…I…I mean there were like four of them, was there a fi—" Aurora says and I get worried about this now. What does she think happened? Or, more importantly what happened with her? Who were the people who kept her captive?

"No. The man was wrongfully convicted, five years ago," I try to tell her. I don't know whether to say it all or not. What's the best thing to do in this situation?

"Wow," she says as she looks forwards. I know that the guilt in her eyes is questioning whether she could have done anything to save him. I don't know whether to tell her that it was actually Dad that they imprisoned and that's why he's not the same. He's definitely not the same. However bad I thought that prison was before, I might have to start rethinking a few things. "Do we know him?"

"Yeah," I tell her as I remember how hopeless Dad had looked behind bars. Aurora has always been intelligent, I wonder if she's putting the pieces together.

"What happened to him?" she asks, "is he going to be released?"

"I think that he might want to sue them," I tell her. I know that that's what they want to do. Dad was held in maximum security for a crime that he didn't commit and more than that a crime with a lot of weak evidence on it. Isn't it supposed to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt? There was definitely a lot of doubt. "But yeah, he got to go free when people found out you were alive. He returned home to his family."

"How many children does he have?" she asks me and I pause. I look at her and she stares at me, her eyes not giving anything away to whether she's figured it out yet or not. I hesitate and look in front of me.

"How do you know that he has children?" I ask and she sighs.

"You said family, Rikuu, unless he's still living with his parents then a family usually means a wife and kids…anyway please, please tell me that it's not who I think it is. Please tell me that those asshole police officers, those craphead detectives, please tell me that those people were not insane enough to blame Dad for everything."

She looks at me and I can see in her eyes that she knows what's going on. She's been able to figure it out. I nod and she grabs a pillow to scream into it. I know how this feeling goes. The pain of such a kind and protective father being screwed over by the justice system. Still, with the way he looks and acts it's not difficult to make the connection that something bad has happened with Dad over the time that she's been gone.

….

….

 _More than I am sure of anything in my entire life, I am certain that my husband did not murder our daughter. I just don't understand why nobody else can see this. I'm living in a world that I don't understand, a world that would send Corn to jail. What the hell is going on!? As I enter the house, Father and Julie working with Yashiro and a few of the president's team to get me and Rikuu into the house safely. I fall onto my knees again and weep._

 _They took him away from us. They took him to a place so much different than the spoiled rich boy life he's known, they took him away to a place filled with murderers and terrorists and rapists and he isn't like any of them and now he has to live in prison until he's dead._

 _I can't see anything through my blurry eyes. I want him here. We both lost our daughter, hasn't this world taken enough from us already. Yashiro kneels opposite me and puts a hand on my shoulder._

 _He's been such a good friend to both of us during this time._

" _It's not over yet," he says and I can't see him through the amount of tears that I'm crying. "There's still appeals, he could be released on appeals," he suggests and I look at him like he's an idiot. Yashiro Yukihito is an incredibly smart person and should not be judged by his failure to use a computer without wearing gloves. I've always admired him for his many positive traits but he's speaking in such a delusional way. He doesn't actually think this is true….does he?_

" _No one is going to overturn a case this public," I whisper as I wrap an arm around my waist. I look at Yashiro. "I'm not returning to LME. I'm not. I can't continue to act knowing that he's in prison, not with a job where I can't guarantee seeing him every week. I need to refocus."_

" _I understand, I'll tell the president that once I leave," Yashiro says and wraps his arms around me. All I want to do is pretend that this soothing warmth is from Kuon. Kuon will never be able to hug me or kiss me again but I don't want anybody else. There has to be some way to fight for him. There just has to be._

…

…..

I don't expect him to want to eat. I don't even known if Aurora can eat or if there are some dietary restrictions that she needs to follow. I feel useless as a mother but at least Rikuu has decided to wake up early and help me in the kitchen. He's so much like his father, such a good kid. He's had his problems with anger but we work on that. That's why I was so happy when he started learning martial arts and competing and winning contests.

When he was a little boy, Rikuu told me that he wanted to work as a race car driver or an air pilot. It think it's because as well as having a love of nature, Kuon really did show how much he loved cars. Everyone always asked if Rikuu was going to become a celebrity and though he has done some modelling shoots to earn some money, his goal is more admirable.

He wants to work as a psychiatrist for young children and families. He wants to help people.

He's such a noble young man.

"You weren't able to sleep either?" I ask him and he shakes his head.

"How's Dad doing?" he asks and I hate to cause his hopes to drop. We've both been fighting so hard for a normal family life. We have all four components under the same roof but because the number of people in the house has doubled in under twenty-four hours, it's going to take some time to learn how to navigate it again.

"I'm trying to find a non-judgmental psychiatrist for him," I tell Rikuu honestly, "It seems like he has some sort of PTSD, I don't blame him though. I don't think I've told you how many strikes he had against him or how much time he was put in solitary. I think being out in the open is a shock to him."

"I think having Aurora be alive is the biggest shock," Rikuu comments and I hesitate.

I nod. That's definitely a shock that we all have to go through but it's something beautiful, it's like a nightmare has finally ended and I can take care of my little girl again. She will be able to have a future where she can be happy. We'll be able to live as a family and I am never letting anyone get close to her again. I have to be a better mama bear for this family. At least I have a chance to be with my kids and the man that I adore.

"I'm going to take this to your father," I tell Rikuu as I lift up a cup of tea and put it on a plate with a few biscuits and other small snacks. I close my eyes before going to the main bedroom but I can hear two voices in there.

"Aurora, I don't want to get up. I don't want to hurt you," Kuon whispers but Aurora is still sitting in a chair by the window and she's pointed out a bird to Kuon. My heart melts when she turns to him and she's still smiling.

"You don't have to get up, but see that bird?" she asks and Kuon nods.

"How many times will that bird flap its wings?"

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you so much for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Three**

H-Nala, JeremyVD, KrisXD

 **Response to Reviews**

I think that Kuon does need some help and Reino manipulated the situation but Kyoko is not going to let him get away with the pain that she and her loved ones went through. These early chapters deal with the release and return but soon it'll go into the first days in prison vs the feeling of being a captive. Thank you so much for your support.


	5. Chapter 5 - Out In Public

**AN:** Hopefully this chapter still makes sense, I actually started it in September and am finishing it up now so about two months later. I know not many people read it but I'm really grateful for those that do 😊

 **Chapter Five – Out In Public**

I can't help thinking that perhaps shopping was a bad idea but they both need some new clothes. It hurts my heart that I was never able to provide my daughter with new clothes as she grew older and now the only clothes she has are ones I bought in a rush. Hopefully we can spoil her. Kuon's body has also changed. He seems smaller now for some reason, more despondent and I know that he's lost a lot of his weight that he used to tone as a model. I'm scared of how to interact with the two of them, they're both so different.

"How about th-th-this?" Aurora stutters as she quickly looks from side to side. She's holding up a pair of denim jeans. They _are_ pretty cute.

"They suit you," I tell her before placing a gentle hand on Kuon's upper arm and he looks at me with wide-eyes. He's not dealing with this okay. He's not coping. I don't want him to become too panicked and anxious about the situation. "I'm just placing my arm here, sweetheart," I tell him and he's staring at it as if I just put a sticker saying 'please call me baby' on him.

He nods shakily, "Yeah, good…they're good…not tight so that's good," he says and I can hear the fear as he sees people staring at us. I know he's trying to hold in his emotions but he doesn't trust other people and I don't blame him. There was no substantial evidence other than what was planted but even then, Kuon never seemed the type of person who would murder his own child and I always knew he didn't.

This world is full of liars.

"Hey, Dad" Rikuu tries and Kuon looks down, I can see the way he's tensed up as if he's trying to keep himself from exploding and turning violent. Violence won't help. "How about if we go look at the men's stores?" he asks and I give him a grateful smile.

Kuon shakes his head as he looks at Aurora who is looking at the blouses. We both realize that she's so grown up. However, she must be pushing herself in ways that she can't tell me. She was so little when she was taken, she's grown up so much since then. It must be hard for both of them to be in the outside world.

"No, she's not safe," Kuon starts to shiver again and I want to comfort him but touching him might set him off. I don't know what happened to him in prison but he's worse than I thought. He's not his calm and sweet self any longer. "She's not safe…"

A man comes over and I look at him surprised. He approaches Aurora and even I feel tense but looking at Kuon and the way his eyes are darting between the store worker and Aurora gets me worried. He's perceiving him as a threat.

"Here, you might need a basket," the man says as he offers Aurora one but she steps back whilst shivering and her eyes aren't making contact with his. She wraps an arm around herself and I can hear Kuon's breaths speed up. This situation isn't good and I don't know if I can handle it by myself.

"Get the hell awa-" Kuon starts to yell which draws more attention towards our family and I see him move forward. He isn't seriously about to attack this guy is he. As he starts to move forward, Rikuu moves into action and using everything in him, he attempts to hold Kuon back.

"It's okay, it's okay," he tries to persuade him and I see Aurora fall onto the floor, she's shaking out of fear and the man sets the basket down on the ground, backing up slowly so that he doesn't trigger them further. I get down next to her, putting my hand on her back. "Dad," Rikuu pleads, "It's okay. Nothing's wrong. He's not going to hurt her, it's okay…"

"I'm calling Kuu," I sigh as I look between them. "Kuon, please….go outside, sweetheart?" I ask him, sounding as if I'm begging. "Please, Rikuu, you two sit outside, for me?" I beg and have tears in my eyes. "I'll keep Aurora safe in here."

Rikuu's eyes widen but he sees how desperate I am. I don't know if he's capable of keeping Kuon in control. Maybe a doctor can prescribe some sedatives or something. He nods.

"Come on, let's get some air, cool off," he tells Kuon and I see Kuon reluctantly nod as Rikuu seems to guide him towards the exit. What would I do without my son being as strong as he is? We are both so lucky that he grew up into the young man he is despite his circumstances.

…..

…

 _I feel sick. I've just finished a day's work for less money than I've even made in a half hour during my entire life but at least I can go back to my cell. At least I can sit down on that hard mattress until they tell me it's time for inspection. Maybe living life monitored by a whole bunch of rules is what I should have been doing all along._

 _I look to my bed as the guard unlocks my handcuffs and forces me into the cell. I look around. I had three pictures on the wall and now they aren't there any longer. Those three pictures are what keep me going. Those three very important people even though one, my little girl, is gone._

 _I see my cellmate grinning at me, what the hell is his problem. "What's going on, Hizuri?" he asks and I try to look away. I roll up the sleeves of my uniform and sit down on the bed. I miss getting to wear all of the fashionable clothes and costumes that I used to. I'm a prisoner though, a criminal, I don't get that type of luxury._

" _Nothing," I whisper before closing my eyes. If only I could meditate, get my mind clean and away from where I am. I know that Kyoko wants to see me. I don't want to see her though._

" _Did you rape her too before you killed her?" he asks and I feel that there's something more that he wants to tell me. I have to keep my eyes closed. Meditation will help me feel better, it'll get me away from this place even if it's only in my head._

 _I feel something hit my knee and I look down at it. The picture that I had of Aurora has been defaced, drawn over and my body starts to shake as I read the words on it._

' _Why did you kill me, Daddy?'_

 _I look at the other man wide-eyed. Why did he feel the need to go and do this, I haven't done anything to him. I know that I'm famous, I'm a celebrity in this country but I haven't asked for special treatment, I haven't asked for a cushy job assignment or to be made to feel like I'm extraordinary. I haven't done any of this. I feel the anger inside of me. I have to control myself. People like this do these things to antagonize you and I can't let them get inside my head._

" _Not such a good father, were you?" the man tells me and I feel the monster inside of me come out as I grab him by the throat and slam him down on the bed. My eyes are widened and I feel as I did when I was a teenager._

 _I have to stop this. I can't let myself get out of control. I can't let myself become the animal they want to turn me into._

…..

…..

"You know," Rikuu tells me as I see people staring at me from all directions of the shopping area. I know that they are whispering about me. I know that my reputation has been absolutely demolished by the recent events. I feel the cold wind snap against my body and take shaky breaths in and out to calm myself down, "I bet this will seem easier in time. Dad," he bows his head and I glance at him, he seems upset. Is he afraid of me? "I'm really sorry that I didn't come and visit you."

I look at him and shake my head. He shouldn't be apologizing for that. What kind of a kid wants to visit their father in jail, I don't even think that Kyoko could have ever gotten used to it but she was too stubborn to stay away. "I didn't want you to come," I tell him as I glare at a woman who has started to approach them.

Rikuu nods, keeping his head down solemnly. Okay, no, that didn't come out the way that I meant it.

"Dad, I'm -"

"It's not that I didn't want to see you," I tell him as I place my hands on my knees, my fingers digging into my skin. "Of course, I wanted to know about you, know that you were okay, hear about your hobbies and interests as you grew up and matured but I didn't want you in a place like that. I didn't want to drag you into my crap."

Rikuu nods again. He takes a deep breath and puts a hand over mine, I snap mine up and he backs up a little. No, I'm acting irrationally again and it's this behavior that will isolate me from my loved ones.

"I'm sorry," I whisper feeling my body extremely tense, "I didn't mea-"

"It's fine," Rikuu tries to assure me before he smiles weakly, "and it's really okay, you know, because we get to learn about each other now and we get to spend time together and I don't think people will continue to blame you forever."

"I don't care about those other people. I don't give a crap about them," I spit out honestly and Rikuu nods slowly. I don't know if he understands that my mind can't be _here_ right now. I can't think logically after all the shi—stuff that I've been through. I take a deep breath in and close my eyes. "Sorry, I think…maybe I need to…see someone."

"Of course, you need to speak with somebody," Rikuu replies, "Dad, you just got released from prison where you were sentenced for life for the crime of killing your own daughter, a crime that you never committed. I don't really believe anyone is capable of coping with this alone."

"Well then," I smile as I try to hold back my anger, "It's perfect for me that I spent so many years as an actor because all of…fricken Japan will be interested in my story." I stand. I don't mean to have so much dark energy around me but Rikuu's right, he doesn't know what I've been through and I don't want to let anyone in. I want to be here. I want to enjoy the fact that my daughter is in my life but I'm branded as a criminal.

People don't change their allegiances that quickly and I feel that I'm like a wild animal ready for the hunt. I feel a click of light and hear the snap of a phone or of something. Damn it! I should have been the one taking pictures of me and my family. "Whatever your god damn problem is, I'm here now!" I yell in that direction, spreading my arms out and making it so everybody stares at me and starts gossiping about me.

Rikuu tries to pull me down. He knows that I'm not steady and that I've probably lost a little bit of my humanity after being caged like an animal for a horrific crime that I was innocent in. I feel myself breaking and see everyone coming out of their hiding places. Yeah, the whole world wants a piece of me, well come and get it you vultures.

"Umm," Rikuu says as he tries to move in front of me to block the people with their phones and cameras. "Could you please just give us a moment," he tries to ask nervously. I know that he wants to spend time with his sister, I know that I'm most likely an embarrassment to him. "If you're not total assholes could you just give my dad a couple of days to return from the hell you pushed him into!" Rikuu yells, his voice echoing and I stare at him in surprise.

He looks back at me and drops his head. "Dad, I'm sorry that I gave up," he tells me and I blink taken aback by what's been going on. I guess my impulses are really high right now, I'm not able to control myself. I'm like a drunk driver who believes that they can outrace a train.

…

…

 _I can hear the other girl's crying. I don't know what to do, yes I've been here the longest…well the second most but I can't help other people with their tears. I once had hope that my daddy would rescue me. He would come swooping in like a knight on a white horse and take me back to the castle where I would be safe._

 _Fairytales aren't real. I'm sorry, Mom, but they aren't. People forget about you. You and Daddy must have forgotten about me or otherwise I'd be saved. I look at a young girl who might make those men angry with her tears and I try to remember the way that I always felt that Rikuu would protect me._

" _Do you want to talk?" I ask the girl as I move over so that I can put her head on my lap. She looks up at me and starts to cry more as I let my hand stroke the side of her body._

" _I miss my Mommy and Daddy," she sobs and I nod._

" _I do too," I tell her and she looks at me, she sobs and cuddles in closer. "Want me to tell you a story?" I ask as I try to hide my own sadness from her. She needs comfort and though I want to get out, I want to make sure she's healed too. We need to all rely on one another. "It's about a knight called Kuon and a beautiful woman, Kyoko."_

 _She grabs to my hand and nods. Hopefully the story of my parents will comfort both of us. I wonder if they've forgotten about me. I close my eyes and I can see the three of them together and starting to heal. I want to be with them again. I want to be with them so much._

…

…

I flinch as Mom pays for the clothes that I found in the store. We both hear people gossiping about Dad and I'm worried for him. I know that the two of them must have been devastated when they believed that I was dead but Dad has always tried to monitor his anxiety and self-image. What these people did to him scares me. I mean, I've seen the dark side of people but Dad must have as well.

"Just ignore it, sweetheart" Mom tells me as she places a hand on my shoulder trying to soothe me. She wants me to adjust to this life, a normal life but I can't help being scared for my own daddy.

"I can't ignore it," I tell her with tears in my eyes. I pull back from her, feeling myself struggling. "I can't…"

"Is it scary?" Mom asks. I know she's trying to get used to being with me, after all the sadness and pain that I've seen in this world, I've grown up quite different to Rikuu but I still was kept warm by the memories of Mom and Dad each holding me in their arms.

"It must be scarier for Dad," I whisper and Mom gets the bag given to her. She nods, trying to look away from the situation. It's not that she doesn't care about Dad but she's worried about me. She has to balance her priorities but I would never want this for my kind, sweet, loving father. He must be in so much pain, the same kind of pain that I grew up with.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to Mom and she takes my hand, going over to the crowd with me. I stand back as I see the vultures preying upon my brother and my father. I want to scream at them to stop but then someone approaches me and Dad instantly goes into his protective mode.

"Aurora Hizuri," a woman says, "I'm from the Celebrity Action magazine," she says and my eyes widen. I remember what I had read them write about Dad, they had turned him into a villain just to sell papers. "Tell me what it's like being the heroine of your escape story, some of the other people who were kept hos-"

My eyes glaze over as if I have a dozen or more grudges inside of me. I don't want to hate anyone apart from my captors but this woman is just about to put herself on my list of enemies. "Don't you dare talk to me," I whisper in a cold manner and the reporter looks shocked.

"Don't you want to give your story?" she asks, "We're dying to hear it!"

"Just as your magazine was dying when you told lies and changed public opinion about my father?" I ask. I feel my heart aching as I know that they put him on a chopping block and instead of making sashimi out of him, they crushed him down to dust. "I would _never_ , I _will never_ , give you anything. My father didn't deserve what you did to him. I'm a Daddy's girl."

That seems to calm Dad down and he just watches me as Rikuu is holding him. I just hope that Dad heals. I'm terrified as well but it's going to be okay if Mom, Dad, and Rikuu are here with me. Family is most important to me.

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four**

Kris XD, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response:**

Both of them have really been through it but there will be more fear from Aurora and protective Kuon next chapter so hopefully in time it'll get to a place of healing.


	6. Chapter 6 - Separation

**AN:** Personally, I love this heavy material but I hope that I don't depress people too much.

 **Chapter Six – Separation**

 _I don't know what happened last week but I'm glad that it was only for a week that Kuon had his visitation privileges revoked. I want to help him but I'm only starting off with these law courses and my mother proves to be of little help once again. She told me that the best advice that she can give to me is to leave Kuon and not let his name drag me down._

 _Kuon never murdered our daughter and the world has gone insane for investing into such a lie._

 _I see the prisoners being led into the visitation booths and I grab the phone as I see the bruises on his face and body and that glazed look as he stares into the distance. It's only been two months but he's already so different. "Hi, Corn," I whisper as he picks up the phone and looks down._

" _I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice sounding incredibly tired. "I lost it."_

" _Sweetheart," I tell him as I see how distant he is now. He didn't do anything wrong and yet in his mind it's okay for him to be locked up like a caged animal. I allow for deep and slow breaths. I have to stay calm for the two of us. "Nobody is expecting you to be on perfect behavior, I'm certainly not expecting that."_

" _So you think that I'm as much of a monster as those here do," he says wearily and I shake my head. There's a difference between being a monster who would murder their own daughter and a man pushed beyond his limits. Kuon doesn't deserve this and as much as I try to get him out, nobody will touch the case._

 _His acting career will never recover from this but I doubt that's what he's thinking about. Everything he once worked so hard for is gone and the mind of Kuon Hizuri can be a very scary place if you fall too hard and too fast._

" _I wish I could hold your hand," I whisper to him as I feel the tears prick in my eyes. He lifts his fingers to the glass and I put my fingers up against my side but it's not the same. "You want to tell me what happened?" I ask and he bows his head before shaking it. I don't know how to respond. Obviously, he got into a fight but I don't blame him._

 _If I were sentenced to life imprisonment without chance of parole for the crime of murdering my own daughter, a crime that there was no chance of myself committing, I'd have more rage than at any other point in my life. I take a deep breath before looking at him, "You want to hear about my classes?" I ask and he nods silently._

…

…..

As I look into the saucepan I wonder if the soup will be to everyone's liking. I feel like a terrible mother. My daughter was out there and yet I couldn't find her. I couldn't clear Kuon's name either. I just had to keep going for myself and Rikuu. At least I know that Rikuu enjoys this soup. I stir the ladle in the water and look to the side to see Aurora sitting there, watching me.

I turn down the heat of the stove. "Hi, darling," I whisper as I come over to sit beside her and she looks ahead of her. She's so brave and strong and I think that's Kuon's influence over her. She could have died over these past six years but she kept on fighting. I don't know what to do. Maybe home schooling would be best.

"I wanted to watch," she whispers as I sense her freeze and I wonder what it was that caused her to do so. "Daddy…" she says as she looks at me before shaking her head.

"Your father is healing," I tell her although I don't know how I'd act once released from a maximum security prison. Kuon had a little bit of instability before all of this happened. It was something that close friends and family knew about but we helped him keep hidden from the rest of the world but then it broke, the world broke and he was left having to conquer his own insecurities whilst incarcerated. "Let's not worry about Daddy though. Is there anything that I can get for you?" I ask her.

Aurora bows her head and shakes it and I feel the pain increase in my chest. Here is my daughter who has returned from the dead and I don't know what I can do to help her. I'm begging with her to tell me since I would do anything for her.

"Can we have a family meal?" Aurora asks in no more than a whisper and I bring her to me, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close.

"Yes," I nod to her. "We can."

…

…

 _My entire body becomes uneasy as he holds me against the wall. It's as if he's strangling me without even having to put his fingers around my neck. I'm not crazy. I might not have heard all of what they were saying but I heard two words that gave me hope. Hizuri Kuon. They were laughing at him and I don't know what Dad did to deserve that but he's always been my hero. He must still be searching for me._

" _You know," the man, Reino grins in a way that makes me feel cold shivers through my entire body. "Your mother always was beautiful. I was rather pleased by her. You're a little too young to please me."_

" _I'm sure my mother also thou—thought that you were har-harmless," I tell him._

 _How can I argue against this man? He's definitely a master of his craft – whatever black magic that is – and I feel powerless but as I close my eyes I see my dad. He's always doing his best for us and he prioritizes the three of us above all else. People like my father must outrank people like this demon standing before me._

" _I was not, however," he puts a fingernail to my throat. I see the world darken for a moment. Hear my heartbeat start to drown everything else out, "such a fan of your father."_

 _I nod. I feel too terrified to say anything else. I don't want him to touch me any longer. He looks at me with a grin that only someone insane could know how to use and he then places his hands on my shoulders. I know I'm going to lose consciousness soon. He knows how to do that to me._

" _This is all because of that man that this is happening to you. You should hate him. I would never have taken his child were he any sort of decent being," he tells me and I close my eyes. I'll need to find another way to escape I wasn't smart enough. I wasn't quick enough._

" _I love my Daddy," I tell him before I feel myself sinking into the darkness. As stubborn as it might sound, I love my dad and I don't want to ever feel any differently towards him._

…

…

Mom has made a lot of side dishes to the soup, I think that she's a little nervous and so am I. It's been a while since we all sat downstairs as a family. Okay, that is an understatement. I haven't been sitting down with my family to eat since I was eight years old. I feel groggy as I wonder what is going to happen but at least Rikuu is with me. He's sitting down and waiting to eat as if this is something we do every day.

"I'm not sure if you have any allergies," Mom says with a guilty expression on her face as she puts the last dish down. I see her and Rikuu shared a look but I don't understand what it means. I see Rikuu reach for the food and it all feels wrong. We shouldn't be eating just yet.

"Uh…I…" I whisper as I close my eyes. Mom is somewhat like a stranger to me now but I don't want to think that way. As terrified as I am inside, I don't want to think of my family as people that I can't trust. I look down nervously. Maybe I shouldn't ask, is my behavior strange to them.

"What is it, my love?" Mom asks me as she sits down and I want to ask where Dad is and why he isn't here. I wanted to eat with all three members of my family. It doesn't feel right without Dad.

"He's probably doing okay, you don't need to worry about him," Rikuu says and I feel a few tears in my eyes. I want for all of us to sit down together and eat a meal. It isn't going to feel right if Dad isn't here with us. I try to hide my tears but is that really too much to ask for.

"Let me try again," Mom says and I hate that she's feeling worried about this. I don't mean to act like a brat but I want my father to be with us. I don't like thinking about him all alone in that room especially after he was torn apart by the media.

"You stay," Rikuu says as he stands up and I know by the expression on his face that he isn't convinced that he'll be able to get Dad to come downstairs and to the dinner table. He looks as if it's a hopeless task but he's willing to try for my sake.

"No," I whisper, "It's okay. We'll just eat together," I whisper and Mom and Rikuu share another glance between one another and Rikuu stands up again.

"No. Dad should know that he's more than welcome to eat with us. He should know that we want him to be with us and spend time with us," he tells me and Mom reaches for him but Rikuu seems determined. I watch as he leaves the table and Mom turns to me again.

"Have you considered the interview offers?" she asks and I look down. This isn't the right time for this because I don't want to upset her but there's one major factor in my mind which will determine whether I give an interview to a certain media corporation or not.

"I have to…umm…it's not that I…" I struggled and Mom nods, not wanting to push me.

"You just let me know," she tries to reassure me and I nod again but the same sentiment is in my heart and I hope that it isn't one that is difficult to understand.

"Only if…only if they treated Dad well," I tell her and Mom nods. It looks like there were some people who stood beside him but I'm not going to do anything to help those who tore my dad apart. I don't want to give them anything for destroying his life. If they had just let it be, searched for the real criminals then I would have been found much quicker because I know that Dad would have never stopped looking for me.

…

…..

 _I'm not sure why Mom told me that today I don't have to go to school. I mean, it's great to have a day off and maybe I could play some kind of game to take my mind off of the way that we moved because of a prison transfer. I don't know if Dad did something to encourage them to move him or not but I miss my old school and my old friends, our old home. It's kind of sad that Mom didn't do anything and yet we have to move. I don't see Dad unless it's Christmas or something and I guess I feel scared to go there. Dad's definitely changed._

" _So, what's the point of me staying home?" I call to Mom as she fixes her makeup._

" _Your grandfather wanted to talk to you," she replies and I look away. So what if Grandpa is back in Japan. I mean, he loves his acting roles and he should have just cut us off a long time ago. His career has suffered because of his standing by my dad and sometimes I even want to let the lies take hold of me and convince me that dad is the rotten asshole they tell me he is._

" _Okay, yeah, sure," I shrug before seeing that right on cue, Grandpa's car is pulling up in the driveway. I move nervously. Is this about the bad grade that I received or is it about the fact that some people don't think I have a proper father figure in my life._

 _I go to open the door for him and see him walk up to me with a grin. I feel the tears in my eyes and I walk over and into his arms. I miss when Dad used to hug me when I was a kid. I never believed he could have done something so horrible._

" _Hey, Rikuu," Grandpa says as he ruffles my hair affectionately before giving me another hug. "Sorry for taking you out of school today. I asked your mother if we could talk about something important." I blink. He isn't going to be talking about my hopes and dreams for the future, is he? I don't want to think that I'm walking into the lion's pit and I'm going to have to fend for myself._

" _Is this about that math score?" I ask. It was just one test but Mom has always been a bit of a perfectionist, maybe I misjudged her._

" _No." Grandpa says sadly, "I'm wondering what you remember about your father."_

 _Damn it. Am I really going to be punished for not being able to go see him. Mom said that it was okay, that it would all turn out okay. I wasn't ready to see him and that was my choice. I'm still not ready to see him._

…..

…..

As I look at the broken man just staring at the computer on the desk but unable to press another one of its keys, I remember all the times when I would run around and trip or scrape my knee as a kid and how fast my Dad would come to my side and pick me up in his arms to hold me close and tell me that everything was all right. I mean, I'm sure if I was in trouble again Dad would still do that but the light in his face has burned out.

"Hey," I tell him as I go to the bed and sit down, he looks at me but doesn't speak. "We were just wondering when you would be joining us," I laugh. I'm feeling rather uneasy. I'm trying to tell myself that Dad hasn't been changed that much, that underneath all those hardened layers of being called a criminal, that he's still my father.

"It doesn't matter," he tells me and I take a slow breath in.

"It's what Aurora wants," I say and he looks down guiltily. I watch him and realize that it's more about his own insecurities than about being scared of how others would react to him. He must know that we love him but how could a man survive isolation without turning inwardly against himself.

"I don't…" he says slowly and I look at him confused. "It's been five years."

"And nobody is expecting you to be paying us back. It's not like there's a debt over your head or anything," I joke with him and Dad bows his head and sighs. His breath is long and full of despair and trauma. There are things that happened to him that I know he's never going to be able to talk about. "I mean, we have to start eating together at some point."

"Do you think you could help me with something?" he asks and I sit up straighter.

"Ye-Yeah," I shrug. I want to be able to help my family come together. Dad has always loved me and I've always loved him, always wanted to help Mom in his place and try to earn some money for the family. I've had to grow up pretty quickly but that doesn't mean that I don't love our family.

"If I come downstairs and eat?" he asks and I nod, "Can you teach me some things about the computer."

I stare at him before realizing how frightening it must be to even use current social media. He hasn't had real access to a computer for five years. I don't know how they smuggle electronics in but I'm having the feeling that Dad hasn't been checking into his email every day. I nod.

"Deal," I tell him as I see the lack of confidence on his face. So many years have been stolen from him, from Aurora, from all of us. It's just time to take some steps into rebuilding the foundation of our family.

 **End of Chapter Six**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Five**

Brennakai, H-Nala, PaulaGaTo


	7. Chapter 7 - A Horrible Point of View

**AN:** It's been a while since I wrote this so the chapter is a lot shorter than where my aim is but I still hope that you enjoy it.

 **Chapter Seven – A Horrible Point of View**

 _I'm kind of a nerd. That's what they call someone who loves and embraces learning, right? Because if that's what you'd call it then I really am quite a nerd. Maybe it's because I use it as a distraction from my own life but I like to lose myself learning about science and history and being able to develop new skills. Okay. So, I am definitely a bit of a nerd._

 _However, this was one day in school that I was not looking forward to. We're discussing the status of the death penalty for capital punishment right now and I wish that I could go to the nurse and forget all about the subject. I'm in high school now, a long time ago my dad was put into jail where they gave him life imprisonment without a chance of parole rather than the death penalty. Mom still wants to clear his name._

 _I've debated it numerous times whether I actually believe that my father killed my sister but I just can't see him doing that. From the way I remember my father, Dad would have given up anything for us. He would have sacrificed so much and yet they took him to jail and took away all chance of him ever returning to a normal life._

 _I'm actually quite proud of him that he hasn't ended his own life yet. I wouldn't have been able to keep living under the same circumstances. I pause as I look at the teacher, they are saying something about how the death penalty changed over time. I'm glad that I did my reading. I don't have to listen to this, I'll just do a little bit more research on my own._

 _I sigh and turn so I'm looking at the ceiling. I don't care what they say. I don't want to be here._

" _So," the teacher selects another student and I'm glad that I'm not the one being called on. Let them answer whatever question it is. "Takanabe-san, do you believe there were people in history that deserved the death penalty but didn't get that as their punishment?"_

 _I roll my eyes. I can remember reading the articles from that time, the time that my dad exited show business and became a murderer and a criminal in the eyes of the public. Some of them said the same thing about him. I don't want to be here. If it was possible to make myself invisible then I would do it._

" _Yes, I do believe that," Takanabe replies._

" _Can you give an example?" the teacher continues and I look down. I don't want to hear those words. I'm not able to hear those words._

" _Yes, Hizuri Kuon."_

 _I knew that I would hear that today and that's why I didn't want to be here. My dad isn't a criminal. He's a victim of the legal system. I hear a soft laughter and I grip my pen. It explodes in my hand but it doesn't matter. I'm sure that Dad is going through a lot worse right now._

…..

…..

"So, anyone have anything they want to do as a family this weekend?" Mom asks. She laughs softly, I know she's doing her best to ease the tension. Aurora does engage in the conversation but I know that she's finding it difficult to say everything that she wants and Dad is stuck but he's eating and he's being with us at least. I can't imagine how tough it has been on him but it's been tough on all of us.

I know that Mom grew up without ever knowing her father and when her mother, her neglectful mother, did tell her about him, he turned out to be a spy using a false name. I mean, at least Dad gave me more than that but I still felt at a disadvantage to everyone around me.

I know that Dad didn't mean it when he selfishly asked me to help him before he joined us for dinner. It's most likely ingrained in him now, this system of living. He's had to be a prisoner who is watching everyone else try to get parole and he knows he has no chance of getting it and for a crime that he didn't commit. It's not fair for any of us.

"May—Maybe see—a movie?" Aurora asks and Dad looks down, staring at his plate. Maybe that was a bad thing to say. Dad wanted to be an actor from the time that he was a small boy and watching what Grandpa does for a living. I know that he'd feel jealous of seeing anyone else act roles that he might have had were he not behind bars but then I also know that Aurora is just trying to suggest a fun family activity.

"I'll take you," I tell her noticing the tension in the room and she smiles to me. She's so grown up now. I want to act like the big brother that I know I can be but she is older and the roles are a little different. Still, seeing a movie with her must be the same as seeing it with a friend.

"That sounds like a good plan," Mom says before she gives her attention to Dad who is just sitting there like a shell of a person. "Is that okay with you, princess?" Mom asks as she looks to Aurora who is nervously staring at dad, "For the two of you to go together?" she asks and Aurora turns to me and smiles.

"Thank you, Rikuu," she says gratefully and I nod before turning my attention back to Dad. He's not eating anymore and I know he doesn't mean to be reserved and to look selfish and self-involved. He's been in the prison system for far too long. He's only here because we wanted him to be with us but he's not here in spirit yet. The sadness has aged him and he's not the person that he once was. There's no way that he could be.

"I'm going to set up a therapy appointment," he tells us and Mom reaches to touch his hand but he flicks it away before realizing what he's done. He closes his eyes and becomes even more withdrawn.

"That's probably a good idea," Mom tells him. I know that she wants somebody impartial but is that even possible anymore. Dad's incarceration was a major story for anyone old enough to be able to practice therapy. There's rarely a person who doesn't have an opinion on it. It's like the OJ Simpson trial in America, people today are still split on it but unlike Dad, he went free despite the controversy.

I look to Aurora and smile. Hopefully we can have some fun.

…..

…..

I didn't mean to hurt him. I was just suggesting something that we used to do as a family when I was younger but then it was sometimes movies that Dad was appearing in himself. I guess that because he was locked away for such a long time, it was impossible for him to act and now his peers have overtaken him. I didn't mean to cause his sadness. I just wanted to bring back some of the joy from my childhood.

I turn to Rikuu. It'll be fun to hang out with my older brother and I know that Rikuu will keep me safe. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't jump at the opportunity to spend time with Dad but it doesn't seem possible right now. I'm not the only one who needs to heal.

I hate music though. Well, I don't hate it when it's played on CDs because there is still a lot of good in music but I hate live music. The sound of a guitar getting tuned is something that makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I probably need to see someone about that, get some of that exposure therapy but I feel nervous to.

Mom probably would be fine with me not wanting live music around me and Dad…I don't know if Dad will ever be okay with _people_ around him again. I want to be with him and tell him that he's my hero and that I don't blame him for what happened but I don't know if he can hear me. Would I be wasting my voice by telling him that or would I make things worse?

I sigh and Mom turns to me. She wants to make sure that I'm okay and it's understandable, I've been gone for such a long time. I'm surprised that I'm not at a low percentile in terms of intelligence, that I still have a sound mind. It's improbable for people in my situation to have that but I guess that I've inherited both of my parents' genes for survival.

"Are you okay?" Mom asks me and I nod.

"There were a couple of umm," I look down nervously and I see the pride in Mom's eyes. I have the feeling that even if I was mentally handicapped that she would love me and still want to support me. I am glad that I'm not but I don't want to say that, I don't want to seem like an ableist. "People want me to go on TV."

Mom opens her mouth but then nods. She understands how big this story is and how important these news shows are but I'm not sure that she understands that I don't want to offer anything to anyone who hurt Dad. He's my father and he always took care of me. I hate them for hurting him. I can't trust them because they hurt him.

"What do you want to do?" Mom asks and I look at her weakly.

"Can you help me?" I ask and Mom nods, "I don't…I don't want…to pick ones that hurt Dad."

I see Dad look at me quickly, the pain in his eyes and I want to be in his arms again. I want him to tell me how much he loves me and how important I am to him but he focuses his concentration on his half full plate of food. Mom nods and reaches out for Dad's hand. I just want my father back, I want him to make more of an effort.

I'm so selfish to be so needy.

…

…

" _You know," Reino tells me as he holds me to his body and I try to squirm away. I don't want him to touch me. I don't want him to hold me to him in his bed. The only man who I will ever let touch me like this – one that I'm not in a relationship with anyway – is my father and this creep is nothing like my Daddy. I have to take deep breaths though because there are girls younger than me here and I don't want to switch places with them, at least I'm taking the punishment so that one of those girls doesn't have to, "You're just like your mother."_

 _I hum. If I say anything he could attack me and his friend nearly beat me to death only a short time ago. I try to close my eyes, I have to think of something else. A warm bed where I'm wrapped in the blankets instead of his arm. There was also that history book I found. I have to think of that. I have to think about how I read the words and how I'm still surviving even without my parents._

 _I want them though and I'm angry. I'm angry at the situation. I'm angry that my daddy hasn't found me yet. I don't want to sleep here. I wish that he would let go of me but as I see the knife and the gun on the table by the door, I know that I stand little chance of making it out of the room alive without his permission._

 _He's not likely to give his permission._

" _You remind me so much of your mother," he says as he puts a hand to my cheek and I can't help but bite him. I should have held back. I should have just let him do whatever he wanted to me. He laughs as he sees the teeth marks that have pierced his skin. He smiles to me and puts a hand to my ass. "Yes," he nods, "Just like your mother."_

…..

…..

I was foolish to suggest this but maybe it's because I didn't think it would happen so fast. Immediately after dinner, Kyoko made some phone calls and managed to get me a meeting with a psychiatrist who would then also connect me with a therapist. Apparently, I need to fill my body full of drugs if I ever want to live a normal life again.

I'm the victim in this scenario. I'm the one who was put in prison for a crime that I never committed and would never fathom actually committing.

As the psychiatrist looks at me, I can feel everything from his gaze. He's as judgmental as the rest of them and that isn't something that I deserve. I used to be known as a god in this country or at least that was in Kyoko's mind. She used to think of me as being some great idol, someone that she wanted to reach and impress but I doubt she feels that way about me now.

I'm a former convict and I don't think the same. It's true that prison warps your mind and makes it so that you're unable to return to the life that you were once living. I have more reflexes now, I get scared when someone touches me and I can easily channel that fear into anger. That isn't a good thing. I tried for years to not be an angry person and prison undid all of that good.

Kyoko shouldn't be with me anymore, not after this much of a change and I can't be a good father. Rikuu will be okay without me and Aurora deserves someone so much better than I can ever be in the future. I thought that therapy would be a good step in the right direction, a first step, but I feel so angry at the world and I'm afraid of lashing out physically.

They could put me in prison for that again, for hurting somebody. They should tie me down, forget about me, treat me like the monster that they turned me into. I shouldn't be in this room trying to feel like a normal person. I glare at the doctor although I know that he has done nothing wrong.

"It's nice to meet you, Kuon," he tells me and though I don't hear any malice in his voice. I don't think that is true.

"Whatever," I shrug and he nods, making a note on the paper that he has on his clipboard. So, he expected somebody with more charisma, did he? They all wanted a piece of me when I was an actor, I would have so many fans fighting over me that it made me uncomfortable. Because I was used to Dad having fans attached to him, I could ignore it.

When I was accused though, that's when they really wanted to tear off chunks for me. I was a headline. I was someone who could bring them fame and fortune for reporting against me, for attacking me. This doctor must be just the same as all of them.

"Okay, where did you want to start?" he asks and I glare at him.

Where _do_ I want to start?

 **End of Chapter Seven**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Six**

Ashenvale, Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Paulagato


	8. Chapter 8 - Preservation of Character

**Chapter Eight – Preservation of Character**

I must be a real idiot. I'm trusting another with my story because I want to be a good father but the world has turned its back on me. It's told me that it doesn't want me ad I'm still struggling to find room to breathe. I close my eyes, sweep my hand through my hair and lean forwards from where I'm sitting. "When I got married, I wanted a child but Kyoko wasn't sure," I tell the psychiatrist who starts to take notes. "I didn't want to push her and I knew that there was a chance that I might never be a father but then she started getting interested in the idea as well. I promised her that I would keep her and our child safe and then our son Rikuu was born."

I feel a little edgy still. The man writes and looks to me, wanting me to continue. "When Rikuu was born, we tried to follow all the rules that the press might make up but we didn't want him in the spotlight. We didn't want for people to know what he looked like too early so we kept that part of our life separate from him."

I paused and turn to the psychiatrist, there isn't judgment on his face yet but it'll probably grow as I continue to weave this tale. "I thought about my father, how sometimes I felt that he didn't have time for me, how I felt that I was a burden to both him and my mother. I knew that I didn't want for Rikuu to have the same feelings that I did. With all respect to my father, I was determined to give to Rikuu a better childhood than the one I had. It was difficult sometimes but I prioritized my family first and I could see Rikuu smiling and that made me happy."

I look away as I remember all the times I worried that I was doing the wrong thing and all the times when Kyoko had to assure me that it was okay and that I wasn't screwing anything up. I sigh as I think about those happier moments in our lives.

"A number of years after Rikuu was born, Kyoko told me that she was pregnant again and I prepared Rikuu for his younger sibling. It was sometimes hard making sure Rikuu knew that we still loved him whilst we waited for Aurora to be born and I think having two kids changed me. I think that it allowed my love to increase. The world seemed a much brighter place. I would have done everything for my kids. I learned what they liked and didn't like. I learned what kind of activities they most enjoyed and planned outings for all of us."

"We were going to be a family and though I was going to continue acting," I feel my voice get a little rougher as I think of all the time that I could have been acting if I wasn't incarcerated, all the roles that would have been offered to me if the public didn't hate me. I could have been a greater actor than my dad, instead I became the type of villain that biopics are made to show the cruelty of the subject. I freeze as it gets to the point where I'm afraid, the point where I admit to what happened.

"I would give my kids everything but one day Aurora just disappeared and I tried to find her, I would become obsessed with whether something was a sign or a clue and even when the police officers told me that she was dead, I didn't give up looking. I wanted to find her and at least find out her story. I think my obsession with what happened and my rebellious comments against the police led to the idea that," I shudder and tears fill my eyes. I shake my head, feeling the anger pierce through my body. I don't want to say it because it's hard to believe that it actually did happen. It's hard to think about the trial and the world believing that I was responsible for my daughter's death.

"That's when the police started to accuse you?" the psychiatrist tells me to clarify and I nod.

If I hadn't been prying into anything, trying to come up with the reasons to why my precious daughter was gone and if I had had any chance of saving her, they might never have suspected me. I don't know how it went so far as to have a court case with Kyoko protesting against it. She always believed in me. To my knowledge, she never doubted my love for Aurora or that I would never kill her.

"I didn't know why people judged me like this, why they didn't listen to me. I guess the lies and the rumors made a better story," I tell him as my hand turns to a fist and he nods, continuing to take down notes. "I want to be better for my family but after all of those years believing I was in prison for the rest of my life, I don't know how to live a normal existence."

"See," the psychiatrist tells me, "I think you can return to normal and that's why you came here. Coming here was the first step. I want us to set up more meetings," he tells me and I nod. I'd be okay with that, there's a lot that I still need to talk with somebody about. "How about three times a week?" I nod again. I probably need that much treatment. "Next time, I want to propose that we look into a medicinal treatment as well."

I sigh. I'm grateful to him for his help but that doesn't change the previous years. It doesn't reverse time which is what I would love to do.

…

…

" _Daddy, I drew you a picture" a little girl says to a fellow inmate as we sit in visitation. Even though she's next to Kyoko and I can't really see her, I can hear her and Kyoko sees my face fall. She puts her fingers up to the glass that is separating us._

" _Come on, Corn," she whispers and I turn to her, looking at her sadly. "Stay with me, okay? Have you been eating okay? Do I need to worry about you?" she asks._

 _I shake my head. "No," I try to convince her since it's already been over two years that I've been locked up. "You don't have to worry about me. They're…" I look down. It would be selfish to ask her for anything. She would probably do it but I don't want to ask her. She would do anything for me but somehow I still feel responsible for Aurora's death._

" _They're letting us put together a small box for the holiday season," Kyoko tells me and my eyes flash up to her. "Anything that you want me to send you."_

" _I'm fine," I reply and hear the little girl laughing as she talks with her dad. It only makes me reflect on the joy that I once had with my own children. I'm so selfish. Kyoko is hurting as well and I'm only thinking of myself and the fact that all of my nightmares contain memories of Rikuu and Aurora. Even if Aurora is no longer with us, I've let both of my children down._

 _I've really screwed up as a parent._

…..

…..

I managed to reach a plan with Aurora so that both she and Dad can have something that they enjoy and I've taken her to see an animated movie. It was decent enough but seeing the joy on her face made everything worth it. She's missed out on so much time in her childhood and I just want her to be happy. I want to act in my role as a big brother. As we walk along, I hear footsteps behind us and I pull her protectively to my chest.

I look up and smile as Kijima-san stands in front of us. There were many who didn't believe in Dad's innocence but Kijima has always been loyal to his friendship with Dad and I know that he's been looking out for both of them with the media. He's probably one of the most profitable actors in Japan now but he never went back and blamed Dad for everything.

"Hi," I smile with a small bow and Aurora follows my lead.

"Oh my god," Kijima laughs awkwardly as he sees Aurora. "So, it's true. I mean, it seemed obvious to be true with the news footage and everything but seeing you in the flesh. Your dad must be thrilled by this news."

"I think that he has to get used to life outside of prison," I try to explain and Aurora looks between us. I put a hand on her shoulder and then turn to face Kijima. "It's okay. Kijima-san is friend, not foe. He never turned his back on Dad and he didn't badmouth him either. He's actually been standing up for Dad and saying that he believes in his innocence for years."

Aurora looks at him before bowing deeply, "Thank you for showing my father the kindness he deserves," she said and Kijima took a step back. Rikuu turned to Aurora as she rose. He was happy that she could see that there was good in the world again. Of course, Rikuu still felt that anyone who actually believed that his father had done those terrible deeds was an idiot but those weren't the people he wanted to discuss.

"It wasn't just me," Kijima tries to explain modestly, "There were a group of us who never believed Kuon was guilty, even with all the media presence and the court trial. None of us could give any proof but we all did care about your dad. He wouldn't let anyone see him though. His visitation list was pretty short."

I feel bad when he says this. Dad really didn't want to see anyone but he had always allowed me to see him, he had given me that option and I just hadn't known how to handle it. I didn't want to believe that Dad had hurt anyone especially Aurora but I had been young and stupid and too nervous to visit him when he needed me the most.

"Well, tell your father that I'd love to see him again," Kijima tells us and I nod, promising that I'll do so. He really is a nice guy.

…

…..

 _I peer at the witness stand as Grandma holds me to her, she has an arm wrapped around me from beside me. Sometimes Mom asks me to not come with her but this time she didn't. I wonder if she'll cry again this time. I don't like seeing Dad getting questioned but they tell me that he's going to be questioned again and that his time on the witness stand will be longer than everyone else's. Today there are some people brought in by the lawyers Mom hired to ask people questions._

" _So," the lawyer says as he faces Dad's friend, Kijima-san, "That you, Kijima Hidehito, worked closely with Hizuri Kuon for a number of years. In fact, you two have been in the most projects together throughout the years. Tell us a little bit about Hizuri's presence on set if you can."_

" _Yeah, he was a really good guy," Kijima says with a worried expression on his face. "He was patient with the new actors and would share his advice. He had a level head even when he wasn't acting as Tsuruga Ren. He wasn't the type of person who you expected to show hostility unless the scene called for it. He was professional and I always felt pride in the work that we did together."_

" _And would you say he cared about his kids?" the lawyer asks._

" _More than anything, well Kyoko-san and his kids. He would often show me photos and videos of them together on his phone. The guy was always telling me how amazing being a father was. He helped me a lot when my own girlfriend got pregnant. He helped her too."_

" _He helped your girlfriend," the lawyer asked, "can you expand on that a little?"_

" _He gave advice. He was there when I panicked over the phone. He was able to answer questions," Kijima replies and I know that Dad did that. Dad has always been able to help others and he's always been the type of embarrassing father who would pride himself too much on our achievements. Sometimes I was worried that I wouldn't live up to his expectations for me._

" _So, you don't believe that Hizuri-san murdered his daughter," the lawyer asks._

" _No," he tells him passionately, "I don't believe that he could be capable of such a thing."_

" _But you have no proof," the other lawyer interrupts and Kijima-san becomes silent. He answers before the judge could object to the question that was asked out of turn._

" _I have my deep trust in Kuon-san's behavior. I have years of having a relationship with him, a friendship with him. He's not capable of -"_

" _I would like to call an objection, Your Honor," the prosecutor said and Kijima loos down. "On the grounds that there is no tangible evidence. Thoughts and beliefs are not substantial evidence."_

 _I look at Kijima-san and he knows this is true but Dad couldn't have hurt anyone. That's just not who Dad is._

…..

…..

I became a law student because of Kuon and my want to save him but the truth did that for me. I don't regret what I did because I want to save and protect my husband, it was what was most important to me at the time. Now that he's home though, I'm debating whether to continue as a lawyer. It's the role that my mother would have wanted me to have but is that reason enough for why I should be doing it. I don't need anyone to choose my future for me.

Could I even return as an actress or would they reject me because of what had happened in the past? Is it selfish of me to want to act when Kuon has had that stripped away from him. I look over to where I have new brochure for LME agency and hear the door unlock. I shove it under some papers and rush to see who it is.

Kuon stares at me and I open my mouth to say something. I don't know what to say though and I see something that I didn't expect, he starts crying and breaking. He pushes his back to the now closed door and slumps down onto the floor. I open my mouth wanting to ask him what's wrong but I'm not stupid. I know what's wrong.

"Corn," I whisper as I sit next to him and hold his head to my chest, letting the fabric get soaked in his tears. He's always been so strong but who can blame a father for breaking when he has been blamed for so long about the death of his own child.

"I'm sorry," he whispers and I run my hand over his head wanting to be his strength. "I'm so sorry."

I open my mouth but shake my head and hum the song he learned for Dark Moon. I'll ask later how the psychiatrist was but right now he needs to break and I want for him to heal. Sometimes the only way to heal is to fight through all of that pain.

 **End of Chapter Eight**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Seven**

H-Nala, Kaname671, PaulaGaTo


	9. Chapter 9 - An Education

**Chapter Nine – An Education**

I don't know how to breathe anymore. It's as if my life has been stolen from me and I'm very different from the idealistic young father who wanted to do his best as an actor so that he could make money to provide for his family. I'm even more different than the man who wanted to find his daughter and refused to believe she was gone.

It's that lack of freedom, the feeling of facing the fact that even if you were innocent and didn't kill your child, you might of well have. They were dead. You couldn't protect them and the role of a father or mother was to protect your kin. I wasn't allowed to breathe without permission. I had a set schedule for everything, eating, cleaning myself, running around a track, doing assigned work for very little pay. I don't know what to do with this freedom because when I close my eyes I'm expecting to find myself back in the cell with my daughter ripped away from me again.

I'm sitting with my back to the wall and I feel that I want to go back. That's strange, isn't it? Wanting to go back to the cage where they trapped me and called me a murderer. I'm happy that Aurora is alive but that doesn't mean that I didn't kill her. If I had only been searching for her and had been a proper role model for Rikuu then my kids would have had a better life.

The money that they gave me to make up for the years I spent behind bars doesn't mean anything because it doesn't give me back the time I would have spent on Rikuu and Aurora. I could have found her if I wasn't locked behind bars. I would never have stopped searching for her.

I hear a knock on the door and I stiffen. I hear the door open slowly and for some reason, my body falls into protector mode where I'm willing to use my aggression against whoever might be on the other side. I watch as Rikuu enters the room and stands by the door, his hand still on it as if he will have to move quickly. I wouldn't hurt my son. Even though I barely know anything about him to be honest.

"Is it okay for me to be here?" Rikuu asks and I look at him, my voice rougher than I intend it to be.

"Do you think that I'd hurt you or something, am I just a criminal to you?" I bark back. I bow my head. This isn't someone else who was trapped in here for their own crime. This is my son. I don't know why I'm acting this way. I should try to be the more gentle and fun-loving father that I was before any of this happened. "Sorry," I tell him. "Yes."

"I don't think you hurt anyone," he says and I laugh bitterly at that. I've hurt a lot of people whilst I was imprisoned for a lot of meaningless things. For a period of time I was in solitary confinement because they were scared I'd actually cause harm to others. "Well," Rikuu rubs the back of his neck. "I don't think you'd really hurt me."

"Must have been hard," I tell him whilst looking forward and Rikuu hesitates. "Growing up with everyone thinking that a crazed murderer was your father."

"I didn't thi-" Rikuu says nervously and I shake my head.

"Everyone else must have done," I reply. "It doesn't matter what you believed. It matters what your told by society, how people look at you. You probably had a hard time shaking off those comments that people made about where you came from. How you didn't have a father because he was a psychopathic killer."

Rikuu hesitates to approach me. I know that I'm right. The media was merciless. Most adults thought that I was some criminal who had been manipulating the Japanese audience. What their parents believe, kids often believe. That's why they are children. Children don't often think for themselves until they are young adults.

"I didn't really believe that," Rikuu says before taking a deep breath in. "I guess, it was hard when you were convicted," he begins honestly. "I didn't think that you could have done something like that. Mom didn't stop believing in you. I kept hearing the messages everywhere but people told me that sometimes the legal system doesn't work. I had lost my little sister. I felt confused but I didn't stop wanting for you to come home. After some time, Mom explained to me what was going on, when I was old enough to understand it."

I sigh, looking ahead. So what does that mean? That he entertained that belief of me, can't say I can really blame the kid. I just don't know him. He stopped visiting me for long periods of time so how can I expect to know anything more about him than what Kyoko told me. I had a son at one point in my life. I can't see him any longer. I don't know who he is but I know he doesn't feel like my kid.

"What do you want?" I ask, it comes out much colder than I expected.

"Umm," Rikuu says nervously. "I was just going over these entrance exam questions from cram school. I wanted to get some input on the best way to go about doing them. Mom said that you were really great when it came to this type of stuff."

"Your mother was wrong." I tell him, my eyes dark and I see he gets the wrong idea as he takes a step back. I don't hate him but I'm not yet ready to accept the responsibility of being his father. It's going to take some time. "Go ask her, I don't give a crap about the education system."

"Sure," Rikuu nods with a nervous laugh. "Sorry to bother you."

As he walks away, I feel regret about the way he looked at me. I didn't mean to come off as cold and dismissive. I just don't know what he really expects from me. I don't get what he expects for me to do to help him. I don't know a damn thing about these entrance exams.

….

….

" _Do you think that it's going to be okay to have him in the track and field team?" one of the teachers says as I stand outside of the building. I think they advised me to go and play but I'm not going to do that. Dad has been in prison for about a year and a half but I've been told these things since the trial began. They think that I have some unseen aggression._

" _It's just running. We don't have to give him anything to hurl or throw," another teacher says and I am sick of this. I was told that I couldn't go on the soccer team because they thought I might use the ball as a weapon. It's ridiculous._

" _Do you think he's shown any violence?" the first teacher asks and I sigh. I walk away from them. My dad didn't kill anyone but nobody will ever listen to me say that. They don't believe that my dad is a good person and despite the fact that I've always believed it, people think that I will become just like my father but not the father that I remember._

 _I doubt that I'm like the version of my father that they've conjured up._

….

….

As Mom is in the kitchen, I approach her cautiously. I don't want to just go into some strange negative rants about my father's faults. Dad has been through more than I hope I can ever understand. I just need to explain to Mom that I need for her to help me with this. I just want to get a better grasp on it despite being known as intelligent.

"Sorry," I tell her, "After you've finished cooking can I ask you for your advice on them?" I ask and she walks over to me with a concerned look on her face. She gently places her hand on my shoulder after washing and drying them.

"Your father didn't know the answer?" she questions and I look ahead of me.

"I didn't want to bother him with it. He's not…he's probably not doing so great today," I lie. Well, it's not really a lie but it's not the whole truth either. If I wasn't scared of him then I probably would have asked. I just get nervous that these problems are going to inconvenience him.

Mom sits down with me and tilts her head as if examining me, "I'm sorry that happened," she tells me. "Your father would never really mean to upset you. He's just -"

"I understand," I cut her off. I don't want to hear her make her usual excuses for him. I understand how his life has felt so different than mine. I know that Mom will say to give him time and my patience and that she'll try to help me as much as possible. I don't want to hear that right now. I've heard it too many times.

"Please," Mom says as she looks at me and I see the tears in her eyes. I don't want for her to cry. "Please don't hate your father. I know that he's still got a lot of improvements that he needs to make but I can't imagine he's not trying. I don't think that I'd come out the same were I to be imprisoned and that imprisonment wasn't his fault."

"I know," I tell her before sighing and then manage to relax. "I know and I don't hate him. Maybe we could work on how to talk with each other," I tell her and hear her cell phone ring. I give a weak smile as she reaches to answer it. She shoots me an apologetic look and I shake my head.

"Hello, darling," she says with tears in her eyes and I just want for it to be Aurora and not that Dad feels too uncomfortable to actually voice his displeasure with me to Mom. "It's okay. I'll come and get you. Maybe this public school was a little too fast," she says and I put my hand to her shoulder.

"Is it okay if I meet her?" I ask and Mom looks to me with a smile.

"Rikuu is going to come and get you," she tells Aurora and I nod, grabbing the car keys.

…

…

 _They're talking again. Those men are talking about something stupid and although I can't bear to listen to it, I have no choice. It's amazing that these men feel that they have more power than people like my parents. My dad has always been intelligent despite everyone, even himself, talking about how intelligent my mother is. He really has a distortion of self-perception. Still, what did he tell me when we went to the art museum that time. He talked about brushstrokes and how different styles represented the history of the time and area where it was created._

 _Mom said that she really liked the painting of Van Gogh's sunflowers. Sunflowers are a summer flower which grew at a steady rate and could get very big. Depending on the type of soil that sunflowers are planted in, they can get various sizes of - I hear sniffling next to me and I look across at a young girl. I know there are other people who don't care that we are together but Mom and Dad would both try to help others were they stuck down here._

" _Hey," I tell her as I sit in front of her. "Let's think of something else," I tell her and she looks at me and shakes her head. "You know," I try to tell her, "do you like birds?" I know that people think that it's best to live in the misery and it would be better strengthening our bodies but there's something to strengthening the mind as well._

 _She nods at the question._

" _Great, because birds were one of my Daddy's favorite things," I tell her and close my eyes trying to think of each and every thing that my father taught me about birds. Whenever he saw a new one he pointed it out and Mom said this was why the president wanted to call him Ren. I don't think Dad really understood how much he taught us about nature and wildlife. Still, it showed how smart and intelligent he was and hopefully this girl will find that knowledge as comforting as when Dad first told me it._

…

…

I feel bad that I inspired so many questions. I wanted to come to school and to start to live life as a regular kid but people don't know when to leave sensitive subjects alone. I can't blame them. Talking to a famous kid who has been in all the magazines and news shows recently can be exciting but it's as if they don't know what they are asking.

Maybe I didn't get a formal education in the way that they all did but I learned what I could. I might not know everything about plants and photosynthesis or just when Japan opened itself up from isolation but there _is_ a lot that I _do_ know. I tried to teach myself as much as I could but every one of the teachers is treating me as if I'm a kid who needs to be handled with safety gloves.

I sit outside of the school building and sigh. People are still staring at me and gossiping. Mom said that Rikuu is going to be meeting me but I don't know how and I don't want to sit with someone else. The minimum driving age in Japan is eighteen and Rikuu isn't eighteen yet, he's not even seventeen. Did they just give him a special license or something for being a celebrity?

I bow my head. It's not as if the Hizuri family is anything but infamous these days.

As I see the car pull up I realize that it is Rikuu who has driven to meet me. I grab my bag and get into the passenger seat of the car. There's something wrong about the way that he's looking. Maybe something happened at his school today but I think that he said that he was to end earlier today. No. Even Rikuu needs some time to reflect on a bad day if he's had one.

"Did they bully you?" Rikuu asks once he makes sure that I've done up my seatbelt. "Listen, if anyone does anything to you, I want you to tell me."

"I was just sick of it," I tell him. "Sick of all the questions," I turn to him before bowing my head but he gives me a concerned look back. I know my whole family truly cares about me. "I'm sorry. I don't really know how to -"

"Never apologize," Rikuu says and I see the way he's still my big brother. He's always been my loving and protective big brother. "You've done nothing wrong. It's people, people can't leave well enough alone. I love you, okay?" he asks and I nod. I reach out for his hand and he squeezes mine, his eyes tell me that he's worried about me but all I want is to request something from him. Hopefully it's something easy.

"I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by what I don't know," I explain and he sighs before nodding. "Do you think you could tutor me?"

He looks up at me, his eyes shining brightly and a smile coming over his face.

"Of course. I'd love to," he tells me. At least I still have my loving and protective big brother.

 **End of Chapter Nine**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eight

H-Nala, Kaname671


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